


Road Trip

by TrashBish13



Category: Smile No More - James A. Moore, rufo the clown
Genre: F/M, Killer Clown, One Bad Week, Serenity Falls, slasher clown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:13:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrashBish13/pseuds/TrashBish13
Relationships: Rufo the Clown/Female Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

After double checking my list and making sure everything was in place in the car, I was finally able to officially start my vacation. I had been working my butt off to earn enough vacation time to properly enjoy the trip, so it felt good to finally sit down in the driver seat of my car. With a wave to a friend who was watching my cat I set on out to see the sights I had planned out. Town signs passed one after another and then finally state signs as I headed out west. I had been planning on camping in a few national state parks and get some photographs with my new camera that barely got any use these days. Poor thing had been so dusty when I pulled it out to get ready for the trip. 

However, I guess things don’t always go as planned. Definitely not according to plan.

I had wrapped up my campsite at the first of many state parks and decided to take a few last pictures before I drove off. The morning was crisp but once the sun had started to come up the woods came to life with different creatures. I even had a deer come up to me as I was putting my things away. After giving it a carrot from the cooler and watching it run off I took off out of the park to head to my next destination on my list. 

My car dinged a few times, letting me know it needed gas soon or it would leave me stranded at the side of the road. Thankfully, I had found a gas station nearby that was just off the highway and nested in a grove of trees. I pulled up to an available pump with my windows down and my Motown playlist playing from my speakers. It wasn’t too loud, but others could definitely hear it. I looked around to see who else was around in this middle of nowhere. There was a family sitting outside at the little fast food place attached to the gas station near an RV I guessed was theirs. A few people at the pumps filling up their cars as well. Finally, against the wall of the building was a man with wavy black hair in a dark brown leather trench coat who had been watching the family until me. He had looked over to see who the new person at the station was, his head tilting a little with a confused expression.

I tried to pay him no mind as I turned off my car and went inside, having to walk past him. I had met his gaze and nearly stopped in my tracks when I saw his face but made myself go inside instead. As I browsed the snacks I kept thinking about his ice blue colored eyes and his sharp looking jaw that was framed by his curly hair. He looked so serious yet something solemn was deep in his eyes. I shook my head as I grabbed a few snacks and a cold drink, also paying to fill up my tank. The door opened just as I was approaching it. My hand had gone out to open it, but I could see that the man was keeping it open for me with other arm in a gesture toward my vehicle. There was even a slight bow in his posture. I gave him a small smile and a thank you before making my way to the car.

I leaned against the side of the car as I pumped the gas after putting my snacks and drinks away, humming absentmindedly to the last song I had been listening to. I was even tapping my fingers a little and I probably would have started bobbing side to side if I didn’t remind myself that I was at a gas station with people still around. I was sort of lost in my own bubble and I hadn’t noticed that the man and I were the only two people left in the lot. Or that he had decided to come up to me.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong but was that Bobby Darin you were listening to when you pulled up?” A pleasantly soothing voice came from my right and I turned to see the tall man leaning against the side of my car on the hood just a few feet from me, a soft smile toying at the corner of his mouth. He looked the epitome of charming but there was still something off about him I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “I haven’t heard anyone listen to Bobby Darin in a while, especially someone of your age.”

“I love Bobby Darin and a lot of the old timey fellas. Especially Frank Sinatra. He’s my favorite.” I couldn’t help but to chuckle at his phrasing. He didn’t look too old, maybe close to his early to mid-thirties. “I’m (Y/N) by the way. Nice to meet you.”

“The name is Rufo. A pleasure to meet you, (Y/N). Not often I meet someone with good taste in music these days. Frank’s also a personal of mine.” He gave a small bow as he introduced himself which I chuckled a little at. “I was curious if you would help a stranger out just a little bit. Car broke done quite a way and wouldn’t get it back for some time which puts me in a pickle as I need to get to a job. I need a ride and the old hitchhiking thumb hasn’t gotten me too far. I have money for gas, food, and hotels for along the way if it comes to having to stay at one. I need to head pretty far out so if you can’t take me but a couple miles at the most I’d still be grateful.”

I was a little surprised at the request, my brows raising a little and I couldn’t help but to jump a little when the pump finished as it made a ding along with a loud thud. I always heard about nightmare stories of hitch hikers turning out to be some sort of crazed murderer but the man beside me didn’t give me any sort of odd vibe. I put the pump back in its holster and I looked back to Rufo, a smile growing on my own face which only made his grow wider as if he already knew the answer. The company would be nice to have, and he seemed friendly enough. Besides, I kept myself protected and had a couple knives and my tire iron just in case.

“No, no, that would be fine. It’d be nice to have a passenger along my little road trip. I’m heading pretty far out west too, but I should warn you I’m camping at parks as well as some hotels. I do have an extra sleeping bag if that’s alright with you.” I gave him a small shrug, “If not, a hotel most of the way is alright. Especially if we both need to shower.”

“I haven’t done much camping in ages so that sounds quite nice actually.” He grinned, large enough to see his perfect teeth that only made his smile ever more perfect itself. As he did he adjusted himself so now he was standing at his full height. He still towered over me. “Let me go grab some stuff for the road and we can get on out of here.” 

With that he turned to the gas station, going inside with a pep in his step and I could hear him whistling a jaunty tune. I settled back in the car to get it started and turning down the music in case Rufo wanted to talk during the drive but still listen. He came back out after a little bit with a plastic bag that I could tell had a few snacks and some drinks. We put some of the drinks in the cooler and he got cozy in the passenger seat next to me.

Once he was buckled up I took off back down the road and getting onto the highway. It didn’t take me long to explain my little ternary and I even showed him the plans in the notebook I had made for the trip so he could take a look over it. As we chatted back and forth about some of the sights on the map I had marked I couldn’t help but think some questions to myself mentally. As Rufo got to talking more and more about some places he had experience with I couldn’t help but let my mind wonder now and again. I shouldn’t have let my guard down, but I couldn’t help but curious about this man when he would get so enthusiastic about somewhere with that smile beaming on his face and with the way his eyes lit up. There were things I really wanted to ask but I thought it would be rude, at least for now. Maybe later in a few days on the trip I could ask him. There was such a strange air about him, but that only made that curious feeling worse.

As I was asking myself a few questions about this man and this little adventure I was now starting myself on, but I never thought to ask myself:

Knowing of what was to come, would I have still said yes?


	2. Chapter 2

The curves of the roads seemed endless as we traveled through the country and mountainside roads. It was pretty peaceful. and it was nice to have someone in the passenger seat with me, despite him being a stranger. He seemed pretty enthusiastic about the music choice as we drove, talking about the various artists once in a while. He even recommended some that I hadn’t heard yet if a song seemed similar to one that was playing. I made a mental note of each one he mentioned to give them a look into. Sometimes I even heard him humming along and could see out of the corner of my eye his finger tapping on his knee to the beat. 

We had decided that we were both pretty hungry and the next diner we saw we would stop at to grab a bite. It didn’t take long to find one that wasn’t too shady looking which I was thankful for. It was a small thing and had a fifties feel as we walked in with a large jukebox playing oldies. Even the waitress was dressed up in a throwback uniform. Overall, it had a cozy atmosphere which was perfect after our long drive. The hostess seated us at a booth in the back but made sure we still had a window. I already had an idea of what I wanted after taking a quick glance through the menu and Rufo didn’t take long to decide on his choice.

“I’ll be right back doll. Nature calling and all that jazz.” Rufo did a quick nod toward the bathroom and I nodded back, putting my attention back to the menu as he got up.

I must have thought he had come back rather quickly since I could sense and hear someone sitting in the seat across from me. I shut the menu, finally deciding on just a cheeseburger and fries with a shake to top it off. When I went to give Rufo a greeting and cheesy joke about coming back really quick that’s when I realized it wasn’t him.

Across from me was a pretty intimidating looking man with short brown hair. His eyes were brown. A lot of his outfit was beige and seemed pretty bland except for the round glasses that sat on his face which were a golden color. He looked as if he popped out of a Sears catalog from the oldie days. He probably looked out of place in a crowd of normal looking folk but here he fit in really well. My brow raised up in confusion as I looked to the people at other booths behind him to see if perhaps he had come from them and he had just gotten lost. He didn’t seem to care that he was sitting on Rufo’s jacket though.

“Ma’am, you and I need to chat a little bit and really quick.” The man spoke and my attention went back to him.

“Who on Earth are you and why do we need to talk?” I could see the twitch of annoyance on his face as if I should dare ask why a strange man needed to speak to me, but his smile came back. To be honest, his smile was more unsettling than anything. Something challenging and unsettled were at the corners it seemed to tug his lips upward. Definitely far from sweet and endearing.

“Jonathan Crowley is the name. I’m a bit of a bounty hunter of sorts. I’m here looking for the man that you’re traveling with.” He didn’t seem to worried at that fact despite my eyes widening. “He’s a dangerous being who I’ve been hunting around for a very, very long time. I don’t want you getting mixed up into anything, so I need you to kindly tell me the direction he went in and where he’s going. I doubt he told you why he’s going to where he is going but I’m sure if he did you wouldn’t be alive, cupcake.”

I blinked a few times in surprise. I didn’t really expect a strange man to sit down at my booth but then again I didn’t expect an attractive man to ask me if he could hitchhike out west. Either way, I wasn’t going to budge on telling where Rufo was.

“Listen, I don’t know who you are and why you need him. I’m not going to tell you anything, so I suggest you just leave me be.” I leaned back onto the table, my hand going around the glass of water to sip at. There was another hint of annoyance on his face.

“If that’s how it is.” Crowley pulled out a business card and something odd happened. I couldn’t tell the strange feeling that swept over me as I took the card without my own accord. “If anything happens out of the ordinary in anyway, just give me a call at any time. I’ll always pick up.” 

I flipped the card over a few times to read what was on either side as Crowley got up from the seat and moved with such ease through the small, packed diner to outside. Something in me tucked it in my purse instead of tossing it in a nearby garbage can. Maybe I would give him a call just in case. It couldn’t hurt. As he said, just in case. After all I had just met Rufo, but I didn’t want to downright call him an evil person or someone who had done horrible things. I didn’t know the guy well enough to put that sort of judgment on him. For all I know the bounty could have been for something silly that he was going to work on settling after this job.

My thoughts were broken when Rufo himself came strolling back to the booth. His sleeves were now rolled up and I had to take my eyes away for a brief moment before I started to blush. He had looked to his trench coat that had been resting at the side of the booth as if he realized it had moved when the other man had taken a seat. The corner of his lip twitched, and he looked back to the menu, shutting it shortly after once he made his choice. There wasn’t much chit chat between the two of us during the meal. He would look around if someone behind us had made too much noise or if there was some sort of silence. There was something on his mind and I didn’t feel like prying too much into it. When it came time to leave he insisted on paying the tab, his wide and perfect grin on his face as he shooed away my hand that had my card. I at least tossed a few bills on the table for the tip just before we got up and left. He offered to drive the rest of the way to the park we would stay at and despite the strange man who had sat down in the booth with me telling me that Rufo was dangerous, the tiredness in me agreed. Once we were back into the car we took off down the highway.

It was nice being the passenger and things seemed to relax with Rufo as he got to drive, letting his mind wonder about the road ahead of him. He still hummed along to the music and would once in a while switch out the CD’s, asking it was alright with me each time. I still couldn’t wrap my head around him being dangerous with how polite he was being, even if it was just a CD change. He did drive like an old granny I noticed but that was it.

A few hours passed and I noticed he was glancing in the mirrors more often. I couldn’t help but look back as well just to see if there was maybe someone riding my trunk. They weren’t riding the trunk, but they were a bit closer than I would have liked. It was a Thunderbird. An older one from what I could tell. I could see the look of annoyance grow more and more prominent on Rufo’s face. I settled back into my seat, but I turned my head to him.

“Everything alright, Rufo?” My brow raised as I finally decided to ask and maybe see what was going on.

“Just dandy. Don’t worry about it doll. Just hold on.” I was confused until he slammed his foot on the gas pedal of my car and it roared as it went to match the speed he wanted.

“Rufo! What the hell are you doing?” I grabbed onto the trusty oh-shit-handle and the side of my seat. I shot him a glare and there was his own glare on his face. Something determined and fierce that sent a shiver down my spine. 

“One. Watch your language doll. Two. I’m finally getting closer to my next job after a week of trying and that old man thinks he can just barge in while I’m working.” He muttered under his breath, shaking his head. “Just give me a couple minutes and we’ll be back to smooth sailing. Don’t you worry your pretty little head.” He turned his head to give me a smile, but something seemed off. Something didn’t sit right on his face and I couldn’t tell what. Maybe it was his eyes as they looked brighter than they had before though that could have just been the sun light.

He was right though. It didn’t take too long to lose the car behind us, and I was thankful that no state troopers were patrolling the area as we were going well over a hundred miles an hour. I let out a sigh of relief when he got back to his old granny way of driving and finally let go of the handle.

“Sorry doll, but we’re not gonna stop at a campsite tonight. Just feel safer for the both of us if we stayed in hotel instead.” He finally spoke after a bit and I couldn’t help but agree with him. The man had given me an odd feeling when he had spoken to me at the diner and it didn’t help that he had been following behind the car. I nodded and a gentle smile was on Rufo’s lips, pleased that I agreed with him. “Make sure it’s a nice cozy one. Don’t you worry.”

It was getting close to ten at night and I could feel the exhaustion from the drive getting to me. I was thankful when we finally pulled up into a hotel. There were a couple and Rufo picked the best looking one. It didn’t take long for us to get into our room and settled in for the night. I had to break my eyes away from when he came out of the bathroom after he had changed. He had only put on a pair of sleep pants, leaving his torso bare. He was pretty hairy and rather toned for his frame. I could feel my cheeks starting to blush as I made myself look away though before I did I caught a glimpse of a slight smirk on his face in the mirror that hung over the basic hotel desk. I focused on just getting to sleep for the night. It felt good to be in my pajamas and in my own large bed. He looked pretty relaxed too in his bed next to mine and soon he was snoring with his arm draped over his face. It didn’t take too long for me to follow suit, the worries of the day melting away.


	3. Chapter 3

The alarm on the nightstand sounded off and with a loud groan coming from him I heard him press the button to shut it off. My eyes were slowly blinking open so I could adjust to the sunlight that had come in through the curtains. With a grunt I sat up in bed and ran a hand through my disheveled bedhead. Rufo flopped back onto the bed with a huff.

“Not a morning person I take it?” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I listened to his morning protests of grunts and low groans as if he was asking for just a few more minutes.

“Not a dang bit. Never have been one.” He yawned out and rolled over onto his side to face me. “I’ll be up in a bit and we can hit the road again. Grab some free breakfast on the way out.”

“Take your time. I’m going to fix myself, so I look like I didn’t just survive a tornado.” I flung the blanket off me and got up from the bed, hearing Rufo chuckle under his breath. 

It didn’t take too long for him to fall back asleep. My eyes lingered on how he looked, the blanket just sitting at his waist. The morning light hitting his skin only emphasized how his ab muscles looked.

“Thought you said you were going to get ready.” I heard him mumble then chuckle just ever so slightly and my face turned red in embarrassment.

“Yeah, just, uh, waking up and stretching a bit.” I quickly did an arm stretch as I turned on my heel to head to the bathroom to make myself look a little more presentable for the day. I leaned over the sink and splashed some water on my face. “The hell (Y/N). Get it together. He’s a stranger. Just a really attractive stranger. That’s it.”

I focused back on getting ready for the day. Washed my face, brushed my hair and made it a little more manageable with my straightener that I was thankful I had packed away. I didn’t even hear Rufo get up until his footsteps got closer to the bathroom. He walked in, his wavy hair still looking perfect despite sleeping like a baby. He leaned over the counter as I was brushing my teeth, looking over the slight bags under each of his eyes. He reached into his own little bag that he had tossed on the counter the night before, pulling out a toothbrush and some toothpaste. He was humming along to some sort of song as he brushed at his teeth. From how yesterday went it was nice to have a small peaceful moment.

With Rufo working on brushing his teeth I got dressed for the day back at the beds. Just a pair of jeans and a comfy t shirt. Rufo came back out in a pair of slacks and a button up shirt which made me raise my brow.

“Always dress so nice, Rufo? Or got a hot date to get to tonight?” I joked which cracked a smile on his tired face.

“Just the way I like to dress doll. Only wear jeans if I’m doing some dirty work. At least anywhere I go I’m always fashionable.” He laughed while pulling at the collar of his shirt to straighten it.

“And here I am looking like a potato next to you.” I chuckled as I sat myself down on the bed to get my socks and shoes on. I could see a look of confusion on his face.

“A potato? What do you mean by that?” He sat opposite of me so he too could get his socks and shoes on.

“Meaning, I’m not really up to the same standard as you for attire and looks. I’m just dressed plain and pretty bland. Didn’t even put any makeup on so I’m not how I usually look.” I shrugged, not giving it too much thought.

“(Y/N), you look completely fine. You don’t need any makeup. Too much makeup and you look like a floozy.” Rufo shook his head, a little bit of annoyance on his face which didn’t help the morning bags under his eyes. “And you’re dressed for a vacation. I’m dressed for a job waiting for me. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about how you look.” Rufo stood up and he towered over me as he took the small step to be right in front of me. “I ain’t going to hear no more of you putting yourself down as long as I’m your passenger, am I?”

“I, uh.” I was baffled if I was going to completely honest. An attractive stranger complimenting me and reassuring me was something I wasn’t used to. It hadn’t happened before or I at least couldn’t remember the last time it happened.

“Am I?” Rufo raised a brow and suddenly he gripped my chin between some of his fingers and thumb. His hold was unexpected, and I fought the strange feeling that bubbled up inside me.

“No, you won’t Rufo. Promise.” My back hurt from holding back the shiver and the annoyed look dropped from his face to be replaced by a wide smile.

“That’s the spirit doll. Now, let’s go get some breakfast. I could use some coffee.” Rufo went to collect his jacket and with the blush still on my face I got up to collect the rest of my things.

“Yeah, coffee sounds good.” Was all I could mutter as we wrapped up the room and left to go enjoy the free breakfast downstairs.

The breakfast was quiet and when I caught glances at Rufo he had a hint of a smile on his face each time. It was my turn to drive us a bit further, so I took the helm. I still let him choose the music as I focused on the unfamiliar roads as my phone guided me through them. For a few hours’ things seemed to be going well until the same dinging of the low gas tank went off. We pulled off to the gas station and Rufo went inside to go pay for the full tank I had put in along with some snacks. Things had definitely calmed down from the day before and it was a relief.

While Rufo was gone though there was a strange pull on me. Like something was tugging on me to go into my purse to find that card. So, I did. I was humming to myself and not paying too much attention to the world around me as I looked the card over to see the number on it. As soon as I took my phone out though Rufo had gotten out of the gas station with the small bag of drinks and assorted things to nibble on.

“Aye doll!” Rufo’s voice broke through the weird fog of my mind and I looked up to him, giving him a small wave. Rufo came walking up and saw the card in my hand and his smile dropped. “So, he gave you one of those damn things.” He snatched the card from my hand and despite my surprise protest he ripped it to shreds and tossed the remains in the garbage can. “Come on. We got some sights to see, don’t we?”

I blinked a few times as my mind came back. Once my head registered what he said I couldn’t help but grin and nod. We had planned to stop to see some of the hiking trails in a park I had mapped out. The thought of the card lost from my mind. 

“Then let’s get going. Can’t waste this good day light.” Rufo chuckled as if everything was fine and he got the door open for me so I could take over the driving.

With both of us buckled up we took off, making idle chatter and listening to him tell stories about his travels and the sights he had seen. He had been all over the country countless times that I was surprised he had missed so many things when I brought them up. Just more things added to the list of things we could do on the way to where he needed to go. As long as they fit into the schedule of course though he didn’t seem to be in too much of a rush. No matter what he seemed rather relaxed, no care to be found.

We pulled up to the national park and found a good parking spot so the car would be in shade most of the time while we were hiking. Rufo carried the little pack that had our water and some snacks and soon we took one of the popular trails. The day was beautiful and all around us nature was buzzing with life. We didn’t do much talking as we went, just enjoying the sights and sounds that we came across.

It took an hour or so, but we made it up to the top of the trail. There was a smoothed-out rock that looked over the cliff side, so we decided to settle there for our little snack session. I had my legs hanging off the edge as I looked out at the view. It was truly beautiful, especially as the sun was starting to set off the side. Rufo was seated beside me with his legs over the edge as well, munching on a granola bar and taking sips from his water.

“Been to so many places yet things like this still take my breath away.” Rufo said as he tucked away his trash back into the bag. “It’s amazing all the things I haven’t seen yet.”

“And life is so short to see them all.” I sighed a little at the end and I took out my phone so I could take some pictures of the view ahead of us. I had an idea and had the camera view flip around, so it was in selfie mode. “Hey, Rufo.”

“Yeah doll?” Rufo looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Take a picture with me.” I had the phone lifted up and my body tilted so the camera had both of us in view. I chuckled when we both weren’t in frame all that well. Even though he was hunched over a little bit. “This is when I wish I was taller with some longer limbs.”

“Here.” Rufo chuckled as he took the phone, giving it a confused look when he examined the screen. “What button do I push on this thing to take a picture?”

“Right here.” I showed him where on the screen to tap and he nodded, leaning in close to my back which made my heart skip a few beats. With his long arms he was able to get us both well enough. He still couldn’t quite tell where to tap for taking a picture, but he managed to get a couple of us both smiling with the sky giving the perfect background. “There ya go doll.”

Once we finished our snacks we took back down the trail to get back to the car. We didn’t pass by many people on the way but enough to put some paranoia back into Rufo it seemed. His hand rested on my lower back as to make me hurry down the trail until we got back to the car. With a bit of talking we agreed to stay in hotel again as long as he promised the next night would be in a park. I let him drive and we went off to find some place to eat and rest for the night. 

During the drive to find a place to stay Rufo asked things about me, asking what I did, what I wanted to do. Hopes and dreams and the like. I couldn’t help but to admit I really didn’t have many, if any at all. I only talked fondly about my desire to travel the country in a little supped up van but that was it.. I went on about how I just worked at my desk job day in and day out with no excitement to make life more than mundane.

“Wasting away behind a desk? Doesn’t sound like much of a life.” Rufo scoffed as he shook his head.

“It’s not really. Just work, work, and more work. Once in a while I read, or I’ll try to do something that isn’t just errands. Never been on a vacation until now.” I sighed as I looked over to him, the tiredness in my eyes getting more prominent.

“And here I am, taking it over with you getting me to where I need to be.” There was a bit of a guilty look on his face and I playfully tapped him on the arm in a mocking hit.

“Oh, don’t start that Rufo. I’m glad you asked me. Sure, it’s nice to do things alone but some things are better experienced with someone by your side and share memories. Right now, you’re that person I get to share with. Even if it’s just for a short time. I’ll probably never see you again after everything so that just makes it all the more special.” I insisted with a shake of my head. “I want you to stick around as long as you can.”

Rufo was quiet for a moment. Once in a while his brow would furrow and there was a slight twitch at the corner of his lip. After a little bit he looked over at me as he spoke to me.

“Thank you, (Y/N). Means a lot.” The corner of his lips now turned up into a soft smile as he went back to paying attention to the road. 

With that I got back to keeping an eye out for a hotel. There was an odd stillness in the air from our little exchange and I could see a thoughtful look on Rufo’s face. After a little bit he put in a Frank Sinatra CD and we got lost in the moment to the music, singing along and enjoying the company.


	4. Chapter 4

A couple hours passed and after a quick dinner we finally found a cozy looking hotel that seemed to be hidden away from the world. We gathered our bags that we’d be needing for the night and made our way inside and up to the desk. 

“Hello. How can I help you two?” The lady at the desk greeted us as we came in with a pleasant smile and her eyes read that she needed some more coffee.

“Room for two please.” Rufo leaned onto the counter, a simple smile on his face but perfect as well. I made the mental note to not focus on his smile so much as I felt warmth on my cheeks from blushing.

“Seems I only have one room left. The honeymoon suite with the plushest California King bed and a lovely hot tub with top of the line jets and a lovely bubble function.” The woman beamed as she read off the information about the room.

“Are there no rooms left with two beds?” I raised a brow and the lady shook her head, giving an apology.

“That’s fine.” Rufo waved his hand in a dismissive manner so the lady would ignore my question. “The little lady is just nervous about our little elopement. Her parents weren’t too happy about it.” He chuckled as he played off a lie and slipped an arm around my waist to pull me close to his side. “We’re on our way to go to get hitched in secret so they can’t barge in and stop true love.”

“Well, congratulations to you too and I hope for a bright future for the both of you.” The lady grinned as she started putting some information in the computer after Rufo handed her cash. “We’ll send a complimentary bottle of champagne for you to celebrate along an array of desserts.”

“That’s splendid of you. Thank you ma’am. We appreciate it greatly.” Rufo tucked his wallet back into the back pocket of his pants.

“Thank you.” I could feel myself feeling jittery from being help by Rufo and working on playing out the lie. 

“Let’s get up to the room then doll. I hear a hot tub calling our name.” Rufo winked at me as he took the key from the lady then started to lead me down the hall where the room would be. When we got into the room I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was keeping in. “Don’t forget to breath.” Rufo laughed as he set his duffle bag and my suitcase to the side. That’s when we got a good look at the room.

It was definitely fancy. The large bed had a beautiful velvet burgundy bedspread and there was even a little kitchen area that led to the hot tub in the corner. There was no couch and even the usual desk was smaller than most. There were two televisions, one above the hot tub and one in front of the bed.

“Well, looks like we may have to share a bed for the night.” Rufo sighed as he looked around as he realized there wouldn’t even be much room for either one of us to lay on the floor. “If that’s alright with you doll.”

“I, uh, yeah that’s fine. You take a side and I’ll take the other.” I didn’t look at him and played it off as there was a knock on the door which got my attention.

“I’ll get that.” Rufo walked past me and made sure it was just the hotel worker with the bottle of champagne and dessert tray. He slipped the guy a tip and rolled in the trolley. “Whatcha say sweetie.” Rufo winked at me as he grinned. God, what a perfect smile. “We can relax with some booze; some chocolate covered strawberries and live it up a little in a hot tub. This is supposed to be a vacation for you after all.” 

To be honest, it did sound nice to just unwind. This was a vacation after all like he said. We took turns using the restroom to change into swimsuits that I was thankful to have packed and I stood nervously in the bathroom as I stared at myself. My swimsuit wasn’t anything overly revealing but the high waist shorts highlighted the curve of my hips to my waist and my top did accentuate my breasts just a little. The ruffles on the top gave a more flouncy and carefree vintage feel to it but having someone I didn’t know too well just yet see me in a bikini still nagged at me in the back of my head. I could hear him popping the bottle of champagne then the clinks of glasses as he got the glasses set up to pour.

“Come on, (Y/N). I can’t drink this bottle all by myself. Well, I could but that wouldn’t be any fun.” I could hear him laugh to himself through the door.

With a deep breath I gave myself a nod in the mirror and stepped on out. He had his back to me when I had come out and he had a simple pair of blue swim trunks on that didn’t give too much away about his thighs. They did look rather muscular though just like his calves. I really had to stop staring at him during this trip. He turned to hand me my glass and I watched as his eyes gave me a long look over, eyeing certain parts and I could feel my face heating up as I took the glass he offered me. He had even gotten the hot tub ready which I gestured at.

“Come on, Rufo. Let’s get in and relax a little.” I chuckled, playing off my nerves as I stepped into the water.

“You look rather nice, (Y/N).” He said matter-of-factly as he scooted the trolley over so we could easily reach the desserts. He soon slipped into the water and found one of the seats in the hot tub.

“I, uh, thank you, Rufo.” I had remembered our little conversation from a couple days ago and kept any negative words to myself which he seemed pleased at. He found the remote for the television and flipped through the channels and stopped on reruns of Cops.

“Hope ya don’t mind doll. It’s one of the few shows I don’t mind these days.” Rufo leaned back in the seat and was sipping at his wine, grabbing a strawberry to eat.

“Don’t mind at all Rufo.” I took a strawberry for myself and I didn’t notice the way Rufo watched me as I ate it.

Glasses were refilled a few times here and there; laughs were shared and soon the tray and bottle were both empty. We were both pretty tipsy and making silly comments at the people being arrested on the show. He had even scooted closer as we pointed and laughed. Overall, I felt great. Though it came time for bed as it was nearing midnight, and he helped me get out of the hot tub even if he was a little wobbly on his own legs as well. He was surprisingly strong for his frame as he picked me up out of it with such ease. Though with the alcohol in me it maybe helped that I was more like a poseable ragdoll. He even grabbed my sleeping clothes for me and guided me in the direction to the bathroom so I could change. It took a little bit longer this time to dry off and change but I managed and came back out to see he was adjusting his pajama pants, guessing he had just put them on.

“Come on doll. Let’s get you to bed. You drank quite a bit.” He walked over to me, taking a few missteps here and there but he got me in the direction of the bed which I flopped on. “That’s one way of doing it.” He chuckled as he got in beside me.

“Mmm Rufo?” I rolled over, getting into a comfy spot. He was grabbing the remote to put Cops back on the television in front of the bed.

“Yes doll?” He raised his brow, not looking at me as he looked for the right channel.

“You’re very handsome. Like, you have such pretty majestic flowing hair and a killer smile. Like. Wow. I just wanted you to know that. Very stunning man.” In my tipsy state I was a bit braver and words came out more freely than I would have liked. A lot of the times I wish I wasn’t as brave but when the words came out of my lips I couldn’t stop that.

“I, uh.” This time Rufo was the one to stumble of this words and I swear I saw his cheeks blush up just a little bit. “I’m just an old man (Y/N). I’m nothing special.” That’s when my brow furrowed, and I let out a loud enough huff that made him turn around with such a surprised look on his face.

“Now you listen to me, mister.” It took some effort to sit up and keep myself up, but I managed. “So long as I am around you, you are not allowed to think bad about yourself. Got it mister?” I pointed a finger at him and before I could get an answer from him I flopped back down. “Ain’t having such a handsome man with the most perfect damn smile I’ve ever seen in my whole little life put himself down. That would just be ridiculous. Fucking…. Ridiculous and so dumb. So dumb.” I propped myself up on an elbow, Rufo’s mouth was open to speak but I cut him off as more words just came out. I didn’t even try to mentally stop myself at this point. “I’d kill to have a man like you in my town that I could swoon over and hope I catch his attention. Six foot something handsome son of a gun with a jaw sharp enough to cut a man with eyes so stunningly piercing to finish the job. God damn, you have some stunning eyes. Could get lose swimming in them or something like that.” I somehow managed to run a hand through my hair despite my limb not feeling like it was all there. I pointed at him again. “Kill I say.” Another flop and I was back down. I could hear him chuckle. “Don’t you dare laugh at me. I’m being very, very, very serious right now. So serious. Like, you wouldn’t believe how fucking serious I am in this exact moment in time.”

“Language doll. And oh, I know you are. I’ve seen the way you’ve stared at me. I’ve got a keen eye. Seen the way your cheeks get all pink and rosy if you stare at me too long and I catch ya.” He slipped under the covers and I rolled onto my side to stare at him the best I could in the darkness of the room. Thankfully the television helped illuminate where he was though he was a little fuzzy around the edges. “But you wouldn’t want to get mixed up with the likes of me.”

“Stop that. I would say the same damn thing about myself. I’m not a fun person. I work all day at a dumb desk and you. You get to go all around the world and see such pretty sights and see cool things.” He had rolled over now and I put a finger on his hairy chest. “Kill, I say.”

“You’d probably change your mind doll if you knew any better.” He chuckled and shook his head. “But I promise not to put myself down anymore as long as you’re around. Pinky promise.” He held out his pinky and I took it in mine. It took a few tries, but I got it. “Can’t have you coming after me all said and done.” He grinned and soon his eyes closed so he could sleep.

I followed suit but I woke up in the middle of the night after a worse nightmare than usual to find myself cuddled up to him. He had rolled onto his back at some point and here I was curled up to his side. I was still feeling slightly buzzed, but I could see he was awake and paying attention to the show that was barely audible. My heart thudded in my chest and my eyes widened as I realized it was his arm around me that I felt with his hand clasped on my shoulder.

“Go back to sleep doll. I’m just having trouble sleeping is all.” He hadn’t even looked at me or away from the television.

“I… I’m sorry, Rufo.” I muttered and my face heated up in embarrassment and knowing I was in his arms. I went to wiggle but his fingertips dug into my shoulder and I got the hint to stay put.

“Just get some rest.” He now turned his head to me, and I swear his eyes were almost glowing. It was probably just the light from the television though.

I nodded and closed my eyes again. In my half-asleep state, I rolled over in his arms with a few seconds later he followed suit to spoon me with an arm under the pillows and his other arm draped over my side. I fell back asleep to the sound of his snores softly going behind my ear. It was probably the best sleep I had ever had in a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

That morning we both slept in, probably from the alcohol which was alright by me. Rufo had made sure to pull back the curtains so the sun wouldn’t disturb us which I was thankful for. My eyes fluttered opened and I could still feel Rufo’s body pressed into the back of mine. My heart thudded when I remembered that had actually happened and I mentally chided myself for being a cuddly type of drunk. I couldn’t remember all the things I had said last night before I passed out, but I was sure it was something stupid and honest with the weakest filter. I couldn’t really get up though as his limps were tight around me, so I just laid there, letting myself enjoy the feeling of being held and the warmth of another body. It would be alright to indulge just a little. Right? 

After about twenty or so minutes I could feel him stirring but he wasn’t waking up. Just making soft grunts and low huffs. It felt more as if he was having a nightmare with the way he grumbled and curled up more into me. His hold only got tighter as he let out what sounded like a low whine. I reached a hand back to rest on his hip in hopes it would ease him.

“Hey, it’s alright. I’m here. I’m here. It’s okay.” I repeated softly a couple of times in hopes that it would reach him in his sleepy state. It seemed to help as his body started relaxing each time I said the little mantra.

I let out a sigh of relief as he got back to his regular low snoring. Though, my heart froze as his face buried into the back of my neck into my hair. Not too long after that’s when I felt something twitch and poke into my back. My breath hitched and my face flushed with warmth. It was his cock and a bought of morning wood. I wiggled a bit so it would lay flat against him, but I could feel how long and thick he was. At least in a way which only made me even more flustered. I shouldn’t be focusing on that part of him. After all, I probably wouldn’t see him ever again after I got him to where he needed to be. I couldn’t even bring myself to try to convince myself to a slight fling. I had never been the kind of person to do that and I doubt he was that kind of person as well. He didn’t seem like it at all. Not with how conservative and old fashioned he seemed to be. I had to take a few deep breathes and just focus on relaxing. I closed my eyes again, in hopes that he would wake up soon and we get started back on our road trip.

It was another twenty minutes before his body stretched, his limps going out though still around me, and I could feel that his cock wasn’t rock hard anymore. My eyes opened and I looked back to him to see him start to scrunch his face up then blink his eyes open. He looked down at me and there was a slight look of surprise that was replaced with a tired smile as he rubbed at his eye while he rolled over.

“Morning doll. Sleep well?” His voice was rough and gravely which wasn’t helping my thoughts from earlier.

“Yeah. Like a rock.” I went to sit up now that I was free from the entangle long limbs of Rufo. I rubbed at my own eyes and stretched my back. “How about you?”

“Pretty good myself. Don’t usually have this nice of a bed to sleep on. Or a koala to share it with.” There was a hint of teasing in his voice as he sat up and I let out a nervous chuckle.

“Sorry about that. I get a little clingy when I’m tipsy like I was.” I looked back at him as I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Don’t worry about it. We were both a little bit drunk.” He waved his hand as he got out of bed. “Let’s get to the road. I’ll take first driving shift.” With that we got our bags packed and check out of the hotel.

We drove for hours it seemed, making idle chit chat back and forth. We somehow got on the topic of clowns when I had mentioned that I loved to collect little clown figurines, dolls and old circus memorabilia. I could see him perk up from his tired slumped driving position. He had a couple cups of coffee but none of them seemed to really be scratching the surface of how tired he looked.

“Clowns huh?” Rufo raised a brow and his eyes did a quick glance toward my way.

“Yeah, they’re just so interesting. My aunt and uncle were part of a circus from what I can remember. They were able to take me to a few circuses as a kid and I’ve loved them ever since. My mantel, my desk and my bedroom just have so many clown figurines. It’s a little silly.” I rubbed the back of my neck and saw him shake his head.

“No, no it’s not. Never be ashamed for the things you like. Can I tell ya something?” Rufo raised a brow and so did I but mine was more confused.

“Sure, if you’re comfortable telling me that is.” Now I looked over to him, my curiosity peaked knowing I may get to know more about him finally.

“I’m a clown myself. Been one for a long, long time. Guess you could call it my full-time job.” Rufo chuckled as he ran a hand through his curly locks. “Makes my old clown heart warm to see someone love the circus and clowns this day and age. Not many folk do and it’s such a shame.”

“I’ll have to show you the pictures I have of them all. When we stop to eat if you remind me to.” I felt relieved and relaxed in my seat.

“Oh, I will doll.” He chuckled, still smiling as he drove.

As we drove I listened to him talk about some of the circus adventures he had been on and how he was a clown and learned from the lion tamers and that he even had started working on being a ring master. When we stopped at a diner to eat at, he indeed did remind me to show him my little clown collection. He even came over to my side of the booth so he could see better as I talked about each one. It was like he was hanging on to every word with each little story about my little collection. It was nice to see someone so genuinely interested and I could feel my heart flutter as he scooted closer, so he was right up against me.

“Quite the collection doll. Maybe if we go through some towns we can find some little mom and pop antique stores to add some to your collection. So, they’ll have their own little story.” Rufo said, a little bit of planning behind his words.

“That would be really nice. I’d have the dolls and our picture together to remind me of how much fun I’ve had on this trip.” I beamed and looked up at him, not seeing how close his face actually had been.

“Here, we can take some more here if you like.” A smile played at the corner of his lip as he slipped the phone from my hand and managed to fumble around until he found the camera option which made me chuckle. “Alright, say ‘circus’.” He held the phone up so both of us were in view and his arm slipped around me to pull me flush to his side. We both said ‘circus’ and as we both smiled he took a few pictures.

“You’re getting the hang of that.” I chuckled as I took the phone back and decided to pull up some pictures of when I tested out a clown look. “From a professional clown, what do you think?” My makeup was simple with two black dots on my cheek, a red smile, a red heart on my nose and two red triangles under my eyes. I could see Rufo study the look and for a while he was quiet.

“I think it looks pretty nice doll. Like the little heart on the nose. Makes for a cute clown if I do say so myself and indeed I do.” Rufo patted me on the shoulder, an approving smile and look in his eyes that didn’t stop the fluttering in my heart but only made it worse. “Maybe one day you’ll see my look.”

Rufo took his arm away and I could feel a lingering to his touch and he even stayed in the booth with me when our food arrived. We ate in a comfortable silence until we climbed back into the car. It only took a couple of hours for us to make it to the park and not too long after to find a spot for us to set up camp. He was tossing sleeping bags into the tent after I had changed into some sleep shorts and a t shirt for the night when I decided to take out my fancy camera to get pictures of the sunset with the tree line. I didn’t even know Rufo was behind me until he let out a cough which made me jump. I turned to see he was dressed in his sweatpants and a t shirt as well.

“Tents all set doll. Should be all comfy and cozy for the night.” There was a tired and solemn look in his eyes that put an odd ache in my heart even though I didn’t know why the look was there. I smiled though as I nodded then took a few more pictures.

We spent the rest of the day light making some smores and then another hour in the dark telling silly spooky stories. Rufo was over the top with his, weaving his way of storytelling with dramatic voices and wide arm gestures or a hushed voice and somehow making his large frame seem meek and afraid. Though when we both started to yawn, and we could feel the sprinkling of rain we climbed into the tent. I kept the tent flap open though to watch as it rained and once in a while the moonlight would poke through the clouds just right to show the raindrops. I did my best to get some pictures of the rain and the lightning, but I wouldn’t know how well they turned out until I got back home and plugged it all up to my computer. Rufo had sat behind me off to the side to watch as it rained as well, unbothered by the thunder and the cracks of lightning. He could see how the weather was affecting me and he put an arm around me. I didn’t even realize how stiff I was getting with each time the thunder boomed around us.

“Come on doll. Let’s get some shut eye.” He reached over me to zip up the tent and moved me with such ease to the middle with him. He even made sure to tuck my camera into my bag in a safe spot. “Got a long drive tomorrow.”

I couldn’t find anything to say as he pulled me down, so my head was now on my pillow. Another crack of thunder and I let out an audible whimper. He pulled the sleeping back higher on me and after a little bit when I couldn’t get myself calm he unzipped his sleeping back then mine. With both sides opened he pulled me close to him, effectively joining our sleeping bags. He cooed soft words to me, telling me it was alright and that nothing was going to hurt me, that the storm would pass and be over soon. I didn’t know when I fell asleep but the last thing I remembered was holding onto him with my face buried into the front of his shirt. Even as the storm raged on outside I truly felt like nothing would hurt me, despite without me knowing that the man I was holding onto was one of the most dangerous beings I would ever know. 

If only I had known better.


	6. Chapter 6

With the tent packed up and everything back into the car we finally made it to the Midwest. We stopped in a small town for some lunch and to fill up the tank once more. Rufo had gone inside to pay for the gas and probably grab something to drink. He was gone for a longer than usual, but we had been driving for a bit already and perhaps he needed a pit stop then make sure his legs were properly ready to go. However, when he came out he looked like he was in a hurry. There was a mixture of annoyance and anger on his face as he approached me and the car. I went to ask him if everything was alright, but he just came around to me and grabbed me by the arm so he could drag me around the car. Despite my protest and questioning he shoved me almost a little too roughly into the passenger seat then hurried himself into the driver seat. He peeled out of the gas station and went off an exit that was making us go in a completely different direction.

“Rufo! What the hell is going on!?” I finally managed to get the seat belt on me, clearly frustrated from his behavior. We were heading a completely different way than planned which only spiked my confusion. That’s when I noticed something red on the spot of my arm he had grabbed me that had bled into my shirt. It was wet and smelled irony like blood. “Rufo. What’s going on?” My voice dropped and I looked to him. I saw his hands covered in blood along the front of his shirt. “What the fuck!?”

“Ah, language doll.” He held up a hand with a finger pointed up to silence me. “And calm down. Be thankful it’s not yours and the bastard deserved it anyways.”

He looked calm, as if nothing was wrong, as if he wasn’t covered in someone else’s blood. I pushed myself back into the far corner of my seat as I looked on at him. The thought of dialing 9-1-1 came to mind but what if he went after me next? I was in easy reach of him and I didn’t know what he was capable of doing. That’s when he looked over at me. Something looked wrong with his skin. As if it didn’t fit too right like it had before.

“Calm down. I ain’t gonna kill ya. I killed the bastard to protect us.” He looked back ahead, wiping his bloody hands on a spot of his pants that didn’t have blood. “Had one of Crowley’s cards. Saw it as I walked by and while he was taking his phone out to dial him. Kept looking right at me as he fumbled with his phone. Thankfully the clerk didn’t notice as I dragged the guy to the back to give him, well, a talk so to speak.”

My heart was thudding in my chest and words were hard to find. Maybe Crowley had been right. Rufo was so calm about murdering someone, it was clear he had done it before. Or maybe just aftershock of the first time? Or if he had before just how many times had he done it before? I didn’t ask to find out. I just stayed quiet in my seat and so did he. Even when one of his favorite songs came on.

“That wasn’t your first kill, was it?” I finally spoke and my voice cracked a little at the end. I could see Rufo shaking his head out of the corner of my eye.

“Part of my job doll. Get rid of the problems and any that pop up along the way. Tie up loose ends that come up and would cause a lot more issues for me to fix later on.” He glanced at me from the side of his eye. “I can explain better when there’s no chance of anyone overhearing.”

All I could do was nod. I didn’t have anything else to say so I sat there. Even when we passed by a state trooper I just sat there. I didn’t particularly want to join in the body count and some morbid part of me was curious in his reasoning. It was a few hours later when we found ourselves in a small town of less than a thousand people. There wasn’t much too it but a few diners, a lot of antique stores and a single motel that we checked into without a worry. Rufo had carried the bags in and I found myself sitting on one of the beds closets to the door. With the bags set by their respective bed he turned to face me, taking off his jacket.

“Who are you?” I finally met his eyes. Those stunningly icy blue eyes that still sent a shiver through my spine. Even more so now than ever.

“Still Rufo.” He slipped his hands in his pockets as he spoke. “Rufo the Clown to be more specific. Though, I don’t always look like this.” One hand gestured to his almost normal looking body and he chuckled as my brow raised. “Guess I should show what I mean.”

Before my eyes Rufo was starting the change. His skin was growing paler and paler by the second until he was titanium white. His body hair and the hair on his head bled into a bright blue that popped against his skin. My brow furrowed as I backed up on the bed, my heart pounding as the man before me grabbed his face with both hands. With one fluid sweep he ripped his face clean off to reveal another right underneath. I felt the scream bubbling in my throat as I looked this new face over. Titanium white like the rest of his body. Blue triangles above and below his eyes that looked like they were etched right into his skin. And indeed, they had been as I noticed the cuts that extended past the corners. Big red lips were over his mouth that pointed upward at the end, being topped with a red dot on each end. On the tip of his nose sat a black dot to tie the whole look together.

“What the fuck.” Was all I could mutter out. I kept whispering it under my breath as I couldn’t take my eyes away from the clown who stood before me. “What the ever-loving fuck!?”

“Language doll face.” He held up a finger and I shut my mouth, nodding which made him smile. “Rufo the Clown. Full time clown and problem solver.” He slipped his hands back into his pockets as he paced the room. “I was truthful when I said I’m the way to job out west. Crowley just happened to get in the way.”

“Is…is he like you?” I finally managed to pipe up a few words and he tossed his head back in a laugh.

“We’re both far from human. I at least started out as human. Crowley is a hunter of sorts.” He turned to look at me. “Far more dangerous than me and that’s saying a lot. He’s not one to mess with. It’s a lot of fun though if I gotta admit.” Rufo cracked a smile and seeing it on his clown face sent my heart skipping a few beats. “He doesn’t want me getting to where I need to go but he’s keeping his distance it seems.” There was a pondering look on his face, almost like a frown as he got deep into a thought. He snapped his finger suddenly and made me jump. “That’s it.”

“What’s it, Rufo?” I should be bolting out the door. I should have been running to the police station we had driven past that wasn’t too far away. But no, here I sat as I asked questions.

“He’s not one for killing innocent bystanders if he can help it. Even when he gets a little on the mad side. He loves a good fight but only to those he’s after. It’s you.” He pointed at me as he got closer. “He’s waiting until you’re out of the picture.” Rufo walked around the small room as he laughed but then suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned to face me, holding his hands out to the side in a gesture. “Wanna keep going out west with me (Y/N)? Can still see all the sights you wanna see. We can take all the time in the world. I can understand if you don’t want to travel with a clown like me.” He came up to me with his hands on resting on the bed on either side of me, leaning toward me. “Whatcha say (Y/N)? Keep enjoying the vacation and I’ll make sure you get back home safe and sound with Old Rufo?”

He looked almost excited, but he was trying to hide it with a wide, smooth smile. I could feel a headache starting as I was trying to take everything in, and I scooted back further on the bed. His smile faltered for a moment when I moved but he tilted his head to the side as if to distract me from the slight quiver of his lip corner.

“You aren’t going to kill me? After telling me all this? After showing me what you actually look like?” The thought about running for the door came back to mind. I had been having fun though. It had been so long since I had a lot of fun, especially with someone else. But the thought of being murdered made the police station look rather tempting.

“I already said I wasn’t goin to doll. I would have killed you when we were all alone in that gas station when I first met you. You piqued my curiosity though, especially when I saw a young thing like you blasting out some good old Bobby Darin.” He shook his head and he stood back up. “And I’m a man of my word. I won’t kill you and I’ll make sure you get back home safe and sound after I get the job done.”

“I… We should get some rest. It’s been a long day for the both of us.” I couldn’t meet his gaze as I slipped off the bed, going to my bag to grab some clothes to change into. “I’m going to take a quick shower.” My words were rushed as I went to the bathroom.

I did make the shower quick but every second was filled with racing thoughts. Maybe when he’s asleep I’ll go. I could easily sneak my stuff out and take off. But what if Crowley came after me since I knew about Rufo? What if Rufo got so angry that he tracked me down for running off? If Crowley was anything like Rufo, or worse, I couldn’t defend myself. And I had been having fun with Rufo if I was being honest with myself. He had even comforted me when my anxiety spiked during the storm. Maybe he wasn’t all bad? We could still have fun and he did say he would make sure I got back home safely. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad? 

I left the bathroom with a slightly clearer mind, dressed in my sweatpants and a t shirt. Rufo was still in his clown appearance, propped up on his bed with his pillows while flipping through the channel. He didn’t pay me too much mind as I climbed into my bed. He was still watching reruns of Cops when I fell asleep, curled up under the sheets. I could only hope for a smoother day tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the shower running and decided to take the time to get dressed for the day. I was slipping on my shoes when Rufo came out, dressed in his usual attire of slack pants and a button up. Though as he was coming out I watched as the human looking skin grew over his body and his hair changing back to black. I couldn’t lie, it was interesting to watch. He saw me watching him from the mirror he was in front of and turned to me with a smile.

“Morning doll. Hope ya slept well. Figured we could take a break from driving right away and we can explore the town a little bit. How does that sound?” His brow raised as he strolled over to me so he could put on his own shoes.

“Uh, yeah, that sounds good. I did see a lot of antique stores when we were coming in. A lot of them looked pretty neat.” I nodded as I finished tying my laces.

“We can hit up as many as you like. Ladies choice.” He seemed so pleasant, as if yesterday didn’t happen at all. 

Once his shoes were on we decided to head out on foot into town. It was a beautiful morning with only a few clouds in the sky. I even brought my camera with me to take some pictures here and there when something caught my eye. Every antique store we stepped into was a little treasure trove of assortments that I wished I had more room in my car for. We found ourselves in a particular one that had two floors and Rufo had found something that he was telling me about. There was such enthusiasm in his voice as he talked about memories on how he used to use it back in the day. When his eyes landed on old circus memorabilia though that’s when he really lit up. 

“Almost looks like my own.” Rufo mused as he picked up a vintage throwing knife. It was rusted in some spots but other than that it held up its age well. “Just needs a good polish is all and all brand new.” He had a fond smile before setting the knife back down, letting out a small sigh. When he left to go look around the corner I picked up the knife and held it to my side so he wouldn’t see it. Nothing wrong with getting him a little something as a little thank you, right? “Hey, (Y/N)!” Rufo called from around the corner and I quickly made my way around. In Rufo’s hand was a little clown. “Look at this little fella.”

Rufo held up the clown for me to take and I did with my free hand. The small clown was in a bright red outfit with a small hat that topped his bright green hair. The makeup on the porcelain face consisted of red lips with a red outline a little bit out, a green dot on his small nose and big blue eyes. There was a little charm about the doll that I couldn’t help to smile at and Rufo looked very pleased with himself when he saw how I was smiling.

“He’s adorable Rufo. I think he’s pretty great.” My eyes glanced up to Rufo and he took the clown from my hand.

“Perfect. I did say we would find you one. Maybe find him a friend or two at some of the other shops.” Rufo turned on his heel as he went to look around again.

“Rufo, don’t think you’re paying for him.” I did my best to keep up with him. It was easier said than done when Rufo had such long legs.

“Nonsense. I’m a gentleman and a gentleman should get the little lady some gifts now and again. I’m going to get you this little fella and that’s that. No arguing with me doll.” He turned to give me a side eye, so I understood to drop the subject and I did but only after giving him an eyeroll. I was getting him a gift so I could let it slide.

We wondered through the shop and I managed to get away to pay for the knife and tuck it into my bag so he wouldn’t see it. After he paid for the small clown we left to explore the rest of the shops and he indeed did find me a couple more clowns. There even had been one that was almost like him except the triangles were smaller and the dots at the end of the mouth were also triangles that pointed upward. Along our walk around the small town we would see some posters for a circus that was coming up in two days close by in the next state.

“I haven’t been to a circus in so long.” I tried to think of the last time I had been to a genuine circus, but the memories were fuzzy of a younger age with a smaller me.

“How about we change that then? We’re ahead on your little schedule. We’d have plenty of time to enjoy a circus.” Rufo had the bag of clowns in one hand, his other in his pocket as he looked down at me.

“Are you sure? Don’t you need to get to your um, job?” I raised my brow, looking back up at him to meet his gaze. The way he was looking at me made my cheeks blush. He had such a gentle smile on his lips and there was a bit of a sparkle in his eyes.

“Don’t worry about the job, doll. I always get them done, one way or another.” He chuckled, plucking two tabs off the poster that offered free entrance. “This is a vacation after all, and you’re supposed to be having fun. So, let’s have some fun.” He tucked the stubs into his pocket the put his arm around my shoulder to lead us away to somewhere else. “And a clown knows best about fun.”

After that, we had some lunch then we checked out of the motel so we could take off down the road. Things almost felt back to normal between the two of us as we eased back into idle conversation between singing along to the music. After a while Rufo flipped off the music and let out a long sigh. 

“(Y/N), it’s not usual I have someone I can open up to things about. I usually end up killing anyone who tries to know too much about me. Heck, even if they catch me in an off mood if they tap me on the shoulder just a little too hard. Only one who really knows me well is the man I work for. You’re probably the only willing living person who knows who I am.” There was a bit of solemnness in his tone.

“I still don’t know too much Rufo. You don’t have to tell me either if you aren’t comfortable with it. Yeah, I’m curious but I wouldn’t want to push you.” I shrugged and Rufo chuckled with a slight shake to his head.

“Oh doll, you couldn’t push anything out of me even if you tried or gave me some big old puppy dog eyes.” His fingers ran though his hair as he let out a few more chuckles before having a more serious look on his face. “No but I think it’d help to explain things just a little with me. Seeing as we’ll be around each other a bit longer and you agreed to stick around with me.”

Rufo went on to tell me about the time before. How he was a boy named Cecil Phelps who grew on a farm with a little sister who looked up to him. How he ran away to the circus so he could try to get to his dream life of being an escape artist. He even would write to his family and send them money when he could. I could see an old pain in his eyes when he spoke about his sister, but he would quickly move on. He told story after story about the circus and each of the members of his new strange little family. For a while there he had even become a ring master to fill in now and again. Then he told me about Serenity Falls, how the townsfolk hated them all and that one night after some murders and a scuffle some of the towns people came to the circus late into the night to kill. And kill they did. They burned the trailer with the clowns inside, Rufo being one of them. Rufo then went into how he clawed himself out of Hell, wandering the town of Serenity Falls until Albert came into the picture. Even Albert had tried to send him back a few times but Rufo kept coming back, so Albert decided to put the stubborn angry soul to use and eventually got him a new body to help further. Rufo had been enjoying his new life to the fullest despite some bumps in the road of trying to help the souls of his friends but he was making due.

“And now I’m here. On another job on some other part of the country. Been doing this for a long time. Don’t plan on stopping any time soon.” There was a stone look on his face, a stiffness in his jaw that had set about halfway through his story telling. I had turned my body so I could look at him better as he spoke, and I found myself resting a hand on his arm which surprised him. He looked at me with a raised brow before quickly looking back to the road.

“Rufo, I’m so sorry for what happened to you. What they did was horrible and I’m sure each and every single one of them will get what’s coming to them. In some way or another.” He could see that I was sincere and there was an odd look on his face. Something that he never had felt before perhaps of someone accepting and knowing of what had happened. “Thank you for telling me. It means a lot to me that you told me.”

“I… Thank you, (Y/N).” He only nodded and I slipped my hand away, facing the road again. There was a sense of ease on his face that settled in with the restlessness that had been there the start of the drive.

It had been a few hours and now I could see he was getting tired. The next time we had to fill up I suggest we switch off and he agreed, leaning the seat far back so he could stretch out his long legs. He even fell asleep at one point. I draped his jacket over him like a blanket so he would rest better. We wouldn’t be driving much longer anyways as the sun was starting to set and I could see some storm clouds rolling in. It was nice to have a moment to myself to just sit and dwell on everything and how I felt. Even after finding out everything I still couldn’t ignore the way I felt for him. The butterflies fluttered in my gut and I could feel how my heart pounded in my chest. I hadn’t known him for more than just a couple of days but there was still the nagging feeling of something there. Though I could push it down for now and ignore it as he slept next to me. For now, at least.


	8. Chapter 8

When it came to be a good time I woke up Rufo, despite the small protests for some extra shut eye he made. He really did love his rest. Maybe because he never really got enough when he was always on the road? I didn’t really know so I was glad he was at least getting some extra shut eye.

“We should grab a hotel room for the night. I bet you’re beat from all the driving today.” He grunted as he let his jacket fall into his lap when he sat up. “Tomorrow we can camp out. Weather channel said this morning it was going to storm again tonight and by the looks of them clouds it’s about to hit soon. I don’t want you to get caught up in another storm.” 

“Thanks, Rufo. And thank you for that night. I don’t usually have someone there for me during storms. I wish they didn’t get to me, but it was nice to have someone with me for a change.” I grabbed my bag and I grabbed his before he could which made him finally crack a smile.

“Trying to be the gentleman now?” He grabbed the bags from me with such ease and when I tried to take them back he had already turned quickly on his heel to walk into the hotel. “Come on. I can hear some reruns of Cops calling our names.” He called back to me and I hurried to get caught up to him, a smile at the corner of my lips.

It was already starting to storm outside as we got settled into the room. We were already changed into our pajamas when the first wave of thunder started. He even had gotten into his clown look, which I couldn’t help but to watch again as he peeled his human face away. When a loud crack of thunder sounded closer by Rufo saw me stiffen up. He came up behind me and put his arm around my shoulder. He guided me to his bed and had me lay down then laid beside me. With the heavy comforter pulled over the both of us he slipped an arm around me to hold me close to his chest. We didn’t exchange looks or words as I held onto him when more thunder and lightning flashed outside. Even with the curtain pulled back, the lightning illuminated just a little bit of the room. 

Being so close to him and being held by him made my heart flutter in that familiar way. The feelings I had done my best to push away only bubbled back up to the surface. Even in the little moments they would try to rear their heads. They were getting harder and harder to ignore the more time spent with him. Even after finding out everything about him I couldn’t deny that I liked him. I liked him a lot. I shouldn’t have but I did, and I couldn’t ignore these feelings anymore. I knew that after we part ways and I didn’t listen to them once I would regret it.

I wasn’t brave often and I suppose the anxiety about what was going on outside was playing in a role to ignore my nerves to finally kiss him. I propped myself up with some determination, even if I knew it probably wouldn’t end well. Rufo raised a brow as he watched me, probably curious if I was alright. He was going to say something when I leaned into him, pressing my lips to his. Rufo let out a surprised hum, his arm holding me tighter as his body stiffened in shock. For a second there I thought he was going to get angry with me with what I had done, especially as he flipped me over onto my back so he could pin me with such inhuman ease. His body loomed over me, his bright glowing eyes staring down into mine with a snarl to his lips.

“I wouldn’t suggest that doll. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.” His voice had dropped to a growl but that wasn’t helping his case.

“I have an idea of what I’m getting into.” One of my hands had slipped onto the back of his neck to kiss him again. After the kiss broke he placed his hand around my throat and squeezed, just enough so I could barely breath.

“You have no idea doll. None at all.” There was a snarl at the corner of his lips and there was a look of surprise as I grabbed his wrist, not to pull it off but to urge him to squeeze tighter. “You’re just full of surprises (Y/N). Maybe we’ll see what other surprises you got lurking away in that head of yours.”

Rufo’s other hand slipped up my shirt, going slowly as he felt the softness of my flesh on his rough fingertips. My back arched off the bed just a little as his hand finally groped my breast. My eyelids fluttered as he circled my nipple then twisted it between his fingers. His grip on my neck loosened as he twisted, letting me breath and to moan out with each thing he did. 

“Wanna see a magic trick?” A cruel smirk grew on his face and I nodded just barely which made him chuckle. “Good. Very good.” With the flick of his wrist a knife appeared suddenly in his hand. Honestly, it was impressive but now was not the time to focus on that. “Tada! And now to make this shirt disappear. Maybe even see what your pain tolerance is like, doll.”

And disappear it did as he slipped the knife underneath and cut a hole in it at the very top, all the way down to the hem. It wasn’t long for the remnants of cloth to be discard to the side. He sat up on his knees as he started to lightly drag the tip of the knife across my skin, just enough to leave an angry red mark. I stayed still as best I could, fear and arousal making my heart race. He placed the tip back on my breast and started to lightly dig in.

“Maybe leave you a little something to remember this night. Can’t have you forgetting about me so easily now can I?” He chuckled lowly as the knife cut a line into my breast which made me cry out, both in pain and pleasure. “Something simple. Maybe my name. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Yeah, you would.”

Before he got to cutting more into my flesh he leaned down to lick at the blood that had seeped out. He sucked hard enough to leave a hickey around the cut before he turned his attention to the flesh on my hip. With a firm hand on my leg to keep it down he got to etching his name into my skin. Moans and loud whimpering fell from my lips as he made quick and clean work of each letter, making sure each one was perfect like the last.

“There. That’s nice. Isn’t it doll?” He grinned at me; a bit of blood had dripped down his lip that he licked at. I looked down to his name now etched into my skin and nodded. It indeed did look nice and I could tell it would scar over well. A little reminder.

He lapped at the blood that oozed from his name while he worked on shimmying my pants off the rest of the way. He even cut my underwear away before tossing the knife to the side, letting it clatter to the floor without a care. His hand slid up my leg and his fingers grazed my clit, making me gasp out and parting my legs more for him.

“Such an obedient thing. Always listening so well and doing as told. Isn’t that right (Y/N)?” He cooed, something sinister and dark in his voice.

“Yes, Rufo.” My words wavered just a little as he started to slide two fingers into me, my walls squeezing at the intrusion. “Yes, yes please.”

“Gooood girl. You’re going to listen to Rufo, and he’ll take good care of you. Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours.” His fingers were starting to pump quickly, reaching deep and hitting all the right places as they curled ever so slightly. “Already so wet for me? Only took a couple cuts and me to squeeze your neck? My, my doll. Aren’t you just downright naughty?” He laughed as I whimpered out, nodding quickly. “Bet you want to suck my cock. You want your lips around it and me to fuck that pretty throat of yours. Get on your knees like a good girl and I’ll fuck it real good.”

When his fingers slipped from me I did as told and got onto my knees on the floor in front of the bed. Rufo swung his legs over the bed, slipping off his pants then underwear to free his cock. It was white like the rest of him and the blue happy trail led to a blue bush. His cock was thick, and some veins bulged out along the length of it. I could feel my mouth watering as I looked at it then up at him. He stood up from where he was and slipped a hand to the back of my head. He didn’t need to say anything as I opened my mouth for him as he grabbed his cock to guide it into my mouth. He groaned out as he took his time at first but that didn’t last too long. Not even as my throat was like it was burning and my jaw stung from the pain of the rough pace he had now set. Both of his hands had gripped the side of my head and my nails were digging into the pale white flesh of his hips. Words spilled from his lips, calling me a nasty little slut, a dirty girl who wanted to be filled with his cock, how he was going to make me cry and beg for him to stop but he was going to use me over and over until he was satisfied. I ate it all up though. Every word he said was music to my ears and the way he was using my mouth only made the heat between my legs grow more intense.

After a proper amount of drool had made its way down my chin he finally pulled me off and I could get in a deep breath to fill my lungs. With inhuman ease he tossed me back onto the bed. It was his turn for a taste and as he went down my body he sunk his teeth into my skin. Each bite made me moan and cry out, a beg without words for more which he happily obliged until he got where he wanted to. His large hands easily pried my thighs open wider for him so he could take in the sight before him. With a few more bites to my inner thigh, ones that would bruise well and beautifully he remarked, he got to work with his tongue on my clit. He had to keep a hand on my hip to keep me down as I squirmed and arched off the bed. He was groaning as he sucked and lapped at me, dipping his tongue into me now and then. My hands made their way into his hair to grab onto something and to tug which only egged him on even more. He enjoyed edging me over and over and when he saw the tears streaming down my cheek he chuckled which only got me closer again as it vibrated against me. 

“You want to cum so bad? Not yet doll. Oh no, not yet. I want this to be special.” He was licking his lips as he moved back over me, letting his cock press against me. “God, look at you. So desperate and needy. All nice and bloody, covered in marks. Could drive a man to kill, (Y/N).”

He leaned down to plant a kiss on my lips, letting me taste myself on his tongue as it slipped past my lips. With a moan coming from me at the kiss he started to slide into me. He was taking his time, letting me adjust to his size which I was thankful for. Though once he was fully inside me he set an almost bruising pace. His face was in a snarl, his eyes glaring down at me as he watched my every move while I screamed and whimpered for him. It was hard to hear anything going on outside with the sound of our skin slapping viciously together. I couldn’t even find a care in the world for anyone who had the rooms next ours. All I could care was the way his name spilled from my lips, the way his hands roughly grabbed my body as if he would tear me apart, the way his eyes sunk into their sockets slowly as his skin pulled against itself to make him look like a corpse. He was so terrifying looking that I hardly even noticed the smell of old death until he got his face into mine and laughed, making sure I had inhaled deeply.

“How does it feel to get fucked by the undead (Y/N)? How does it feel to be fucked by a monster who can tear you limb from limb?” Rufo taunted me as he suddenly pulled out, flipping me over onto my stomach with such ease. His grip was almost burning as he grabbed onto my hips to pull me up onto my hands and knees, thrusting right back into me to get back to his pace. One hand went into my hair to pull my head back up, his other hand giving blow after blow on my ass. “Tell me doll! Don’t hold back on me now!”

There had been a mirror that was hanging over the bed and finally I could see my face and how I looked. I hadn’t even noticed the tears that had gone down my cheek and they still were going. God, it felt so good though. Each smack only made me cry out more and he was eating it all up. Any time I screamed out his name he smacked harder. I could already feel the bruises forming but I didn’t care. I was so close, and he could feel as my walls squeezed down on him. As I was starting to squeeze around him he lifted me up, so my back was flat against him, his arm around my shoulders and waist. My hands instinctively went to grab at his waist to try to keep myself stable even though there was no need. Rufo was so warm against my back, almost to the point of it being painful. His nails were digging so hard into my skin that he pierced through and I could feel the blood ever so slightly making its way down my skin. His face made its way to the side of my head to bury into my hair, taking in my scent and letting me hear him growl inhumanly with every thrust.

“Cum for me. I want this whole damn town to know who gave you exactly what you needed.” His voice was a hiss in my ear, demanding with every word that came out of his mouth.

And I couldn’t help but give into those demands.

“Rufo!” His name came out louder than before as I finally went over, my body shuddering in his grip. Stars came into my vision as I rode out my climax and Rufo never eased up his pace.

His name was the only coherent thing I could say, following by the mewling and whining mumbles that followed through. I could tell Rufo was getting close, I could feel his cock twitching and his breathing was becoming more ragged, his thrusts getting more erratic. It wasn’t long until he pulled out and stroked himself until he came. He sunk his teeth into my shoulder which made me cry out again. He growled with every twitch of his cock as his cum covered my back and his stomach. When he was done he let go of my shoulder and I could feel his tongue licking at the blood and there were even a few tender kisses beside the bite. When my eyes opened again I noticed he was back to his normal alive looking clown self. Well, mostly. Blood covered and ran down his chin and his hair was more wild than usual. 

“Nice and easy doll. Nice and easy.” Rufo cooed as he laid me down on my stomach. My body felt weak and if I stood I most certainly would fall back down. “I’m going to get you all cleaned up. Just relax there for me.” He brushed some hair from my face, and I watched from the corner of my eyes as he left. My eyes fell shut in exhaustion and I could feel how hard my heart pounded from our little excursion. Though my eyes shot open when I felt the cold wetness of a cloth dabbing away at my warm skin. “Careful there, doll. Don’t move around too much.” His voice was soft and soothing, such a drastic comparison to just a few minutes ago. “There we go. Old Rufo’s got you.”

He had me cleaned up in no time and I was like a rag doll in his hand which made him chuckle. When he was done he tossed the bloody rag into the sink of the bathroom and laid down beside me. He put on the reruns of Cops and had me curl up to his side. It didn’t take me long to fall asleep. The storm outside didn’t matter. The stress of someone trying to find him didn’t matter. 

I should have known better.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is in Rufo's perspective

**Rufo stared down at the woman lying beside him. Her hair was in a wild mess both from the events of the night and of her tossing some in her sleep. It was amusing how wild it had become. Her lips were ever so slightly parted, and I chuckled to myself when I swiped my thumb at some drool on the corner of her lips. She was out like a light with not a flinch in sight when I touched her. I didn’t want to think it, but she looked rather beautiful. Even with the hint of the morning light that hit her face as it broke into their room as it finally got passed the gray clouds outside. The way her nose twitched as she slept, her soft snores that she probably didn’t know she even did, her soft little coos that followed suit.**

**I furrowed my brows and I resisted the urge to smack myself upside the head. I still didn’t want to wake her, so I forced himself to look up at the ceiling, my mind whirling with my frustrations. A woman was beside me. One I had decided not to kill when we first met simply because she had a good taste in music. And that sweet smile of hers as her face lit up. Then I got to know her, and she got to know me. Even after I showed her my secret she didn’t make any hints of leaving. Which I was really thankful for because I didn’t want to kill her at that point. Instead, she wanted to keep going on this little road trip with me. Hell, even with Crowley on our heels she still wanted to keep going. Though what if she got mixed up and got hurt? I shook my head as my brows only furrowed more. No, I wouldn’t let that happen. I would drop her off somewhere and find another car.**

**(Y/N) was starting to stir as she started to wake up which caught my attention, pulling me away from thoughts that were less than friendly. I rolled over to my side and in turn so did she. I watched as her body stretched and felt her grab onto me. She was so warm, so gentle even in the early morning hours. Her tired eyes blinked slowly and were soon looking up at my own. Then she smiled. That gentle, soft smile that at times I couldn’t get out of my head. Her hand reached up and I quickly glanced to it as it landed on my cheek. Her thumb grazed over part of the triangle like scar below my eye. It felt strange and I could feel myself on edge, as if suddenly she would despise everything about it, about me. But no, her smile never wavered and neither did her touch. Her touch was so gentle compared to how rough and damaged the shaped scar was.**

**“Good morning, Rufo. Did you sleep well?” Her voice was even gentle despite a gravely undertone. She had used quite a bit of her vocal cords and I smiled at the memory of our romping last night.**

**“Like the dead, doll. How about yourself?” I went to go tug the blankets away from us so we could get started with the day.**

**“Best I have in a long time.” She had a beaming smile as she sat up and ran her hand through her bedhead to try to tame it. It didn’t work but the effort was there.**

**“Very good. Couldn’t have you not sleeping well doll.” I let out a hearty chuckle as I got up from the bed and went to the bathroom to take a morning shower. I didn’t notice her coming in behind me until her arms wrapped around my torso and she peaked around from my side as I lifted my arm. “Wanting to join me this morning?” A crooked grin grew on my face.**

**“If you didn’t mind of course. Cut our shower time in half too.” Her fingertips trailed along my skin as she pulled her arms away so she could start the shower for us. Something in the moment felt right. Though I knew I shouldn’t be here like this with her. Yet I still made the choice to stay.**

**“You’re right about that doll.” I slipped my fingers through my blue curls as I turned around to meet her gaze. Blush had dusted her cheeks and I could tell she had been looking over me as she waited for me to join her. “Feeling alright there?” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I went past her to get under the hot spray of water.**

**“Y-Yeah, I am.” She muttered as she joined in with me. Her cheeks only became more flushed which put a smile on my face.**

**Halfway through the shower I couldn’t help to get a little handsy. She was washing her hair when I moved her hands to the side to slip my hands where hers had been. There was a look of surprise and her cheeks only got redder as my fingers worked the shampoo into her hair. I could see she was melting a little and her body pressed into mine. My cock hardened against her stomach and I could hear the faintest of surprised gasps from her as it twitched between us. It didn’t take long after me rinsing out her hair for me to have her up on the wall with her legs around my waist. Her face was buried into my neck as she clung onto me for what felt like dear life with every thrust. I knew my fingertips would leave a nice pattern of bruises on her ass the harder they dug into her.**

**It didn’t take long to get her to cum the first time or even the fourth time until she was limp in my arms. She was even whining when another climax of hers was building up. Despite her weak whimpering protests of another orgasm, her body tensed then shuddered against my body as she got lost in the wave. It was a lovely sight to see, I had to admit. The way her eyes rolled back, how her mouth dropped open even with no noise coming out, how even after becoming so tired she still tried to claw and grab at me. I felt the tug of my own gut hinting to my release so quickly I slid myself out, getting cum all over her stomach and part of her chest as a deep groan left my chest.**

**Both of us panted as I moved her to be under the spray of water so she could get clean again. Her fingertips still lingered against my skin even though it was hot to the touch. She didn’t seem to mind the heat though, more so sought it out as she only held tighter. She stayed in my arms as I stepped us out of the shower and until I set her down on the counter to dry her off. I could hear that annoying voice in the back of my head, the one telling me this was a bad idea, that I should just find an excuse to leave and make sure to never see her again. Instead though we went about our day, going out to enjoy the town one more time before one last night in the hotel. Just one more day I kept thinking to myself.**

**We had found some goodies in a few of the stores we hadn’t gotten to look at the other day and then grabbed a bite to eat at one of the local diners. I couldn’t help but to watch her. The way she walked, the way her body moved when she was standing in place, how her eyes lit up when something caught them. Everything caught my eye. So did the middle-aged sleaze ball of a rube who had been eyeing her since we had sat down in the diner. He wasn’t exactly hiding how he was looking at her though she hadn’t noticed as she was focused on me. He didn’t seem to be deterred by the fact of my presence and he was even pretty ballsy when we left. The rube had the gall to get up and follow us. She hadn’t noticed just yet since he was keeping some distance away. I wasn’t going to let some rube ruin our day.**

**“Aw dang it.” I huffed out as I patted my pocket in an exaggerated manner. “Forgot my wallet back at the diner. I’ll be right back doll. Wait here for me.” I guided her to lean against the wall and gave her a wink. “Won’t be too long, I promise.”**

**She had agreed to stay put just before I turned to head toward the diner. I saw the rube leaning out from an alley to peek to see where we were. He was doing a shabby job at being secret. Perfect. He couldn’t get much of a reaction out except for a grunt as I grabbed him to shove him back into the alley. I had a firm grip on the front of his shirt as I dragged him deeper between the two buildings, at least far enough so anyone who passed by wouldn’t really notice unless they looked hard enough.**

**“Trying to cop a feel on her rube? Get in her pants hm?” I shoved him against the wall despite his kicks. He also couldn’t really answer me as I had a hand wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air supply just enough. “See a pretty girl in town and you wanna just ruin her. Men like you give gentleman like me a bad name. As if she’d want a rube like you.” My finger tightened and that lovely bubble of rage inside me was starting to get worse.**

**Worse it certainly did as I beat the man to a near bloody pulp. How dare this vile piece of flesh and bone think about tainting someone precious with his filthy hands. How dare he even let the thought cross his mind that he could even try to get her alone while I was near her. He tried to beg but his words didn’t last too much longer. My hands squeezed around his throat and I could feel his windpipe breaking under my fingers that was followed by the snap of his neck. It was a satisfying noise, I couldn’t lie. He was a bloody mess and gone as I stood up from where I had my fun. Sure, I was a bit bloody myself, but we would be out of town soon and with the sun setting it would be easier to slip back to the hotel. I must have taken too long though and she had gotten worried about me.**

**“Rufo?” Her voice broke through the silence and down the alleyway. And then a gasp. “Rufo!? What the hell?” Now I turned to see her, eyes wide as she looked at the body at my feet.**

**“Look doll, I can explain.” I took a step closer and she took one back. “Look, I’m not gonna hurt you. I made a promise. Let’s just get back to the hotel so I can get changed and we can go about our evening. Okay?” Her eyes wavered between me and the body, a look of uncertainty and terror that didn’t sit well with me. “Doll, I’m a man of my word. Just listen, he was following us. Following us for you. You didn’t see the look on his face that I saw.” I could feel my skin starting to pull taunt and my human skin wasn’t looking so human. “That rube wanted to fucking touch you and there was no way in hell I was gonna let that happen.” My hands grabbed her shoulder and she finally looked me in the eyes with a surprised expression. Probably because my fingertips were digging into her skin and I was starting to heat up.**

**“I… Alright Rufo.” Her voice was barely above a whisper and I got her quickly out of the alleyway and we managed to slip back into the motel room.**

**“I’ll be back in a bit.” I locked the door and shut the blinds before going to the bathroom to wash up.**

**I looked myself in the mirror when I was drying off my hair, letting my wet curls fall wherever they wanted when I set the towel down. My skin looked more supple from me calming down and my skin was only hot now from the shower. As I looked at myself all I could see was the look on her face when she had found me in that alley. The fear in her eyes and it made me feel a tightness in my chest. I didn’t like it. My hand rubbed along my chest through my chest hair as that one thought came back into my mind.**

**Leave her behind to find a new car and get back to my work. Especially with Crowley on our tail. I couldn’t let him get too close to her. I felt my skin getting taut at the thought and had to calm myself before going back out in just a pair of underwear. She had been laying out in the bed and she was flipping through the channels, already changed into her pajamas for the night. She hadn’t noticed me, and I could see the disinterest in her eyes as channel after channel passed. She looked peaceful as if she hadn’t seen the body of a man that I murdered in an alleyway and me splattered in his blood. I made my way over to the bed and that’s when she looked up to me with her smile. That smile.**

**I waited until she was fast and deep in her sleep before grabbing my bag and leaving. I walked a little bit before ‘borrowing’ car. I didn’t drive long. Just a few towns over so I could at least get some rest. I made the decision to try to enjoy the circus that was in town the next day. Besides, a clown like myself had to make sure the other clowns were doing things properly.**

**Sitting in the motel room was strange. So empty. Even though there wasn’t a storm raging outside for once I could feel one raging inside of me. I made myself sleep though.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is in Rufo's perspective


	10. Chapter 10

I woke up that morning with the memories of the night before playing over in my mind. The way Rufo eyed me as he approached the bed. How he took the remote from me and changed it to a music station, one that was playing oldies. He had grabbed my hand and we danced a little to the music. No words between the two of us and I felt we didn’t need them. Even when he had me pinned down to the bed there were no words but the sounds that filled the room. I had to blink hard and shake my head before sitting up. I could feel my cheeks heated with the blush that was sure to be bright on them. That’s when I realized Rufo wasn’t lying beside me.

I got up from the bed and made my way to the bathroom thinking maybe he was just getting ready for a shower. Though when I saw the bathroom was empty my heart started to sink. I went back to the main room and that’s when I saw the note on the desk. I took it in hand and sat down on the bed to read it.

“(Y/N),

I hate to leave like this but it’s what’s best. Go on and enjoy yourself and the rest of your vacation. Thanks for letting me tag along for as long as you would let me. Thanks for the memories and good times doll. 

And just remember, gray skies are gonna clear up.

Rufo the Clown”

I sat there for I don’t remember how long until the knock on the door from room service startled me, telling me it was about time for me to get going. Even packing up and leaving in my car felt like a blur. He had left some time in the night when I was deep in sleep. Probably knew I would have asked him to stay and tell him that things would be alright. All I could do was sigh to myself and try to think of what next was on my agenda before the clown had joined. Before I found myself attached in some way.

I decided to go to the circus that we had planned to go to together. I’m sure he wouldn’t be there and it would help get my mind off of things by having some fun. I managed to find decent parking and bought my wrist band so I could freely enjoy everything the circus had to offer.

The rides were the typical rides you would find at a travelling circus and I admit I rode the Tilt A Whirl and Scrambler more times than I could count. I even managed to go on the Ferris Wheel alone even though I could feel my heartbeat pounding hard in my chest when I was at the very top all alone. The view was worth it though as I looked out the tree lines and hills in the far-off distance. I even managed to get a good couple of pictures before the descent back down.

I made it to the big top show just in time to get a good seat close to the front amongst the sea of people. The show was splendid, and I joined in on the clapping and cheering of the crowd after each act. I didn’t even notice the gaze of the tall brown-haired man who looked ever so plain in the crowd. Heck, I didn’t even notice as he was getting closer behind me when the large group of folk were guided out of the tent so they could once again enjoy the festivities outside. Though when he grabbed me that’s when he finally got my attention.

“Evening cupcake. I hope you enjoyed the show because we have some place we need to go.” His grip got painfully tight as he shoved me into his body as he made his way through the crowd. I don’t even think my feet touched the ground much.

“Let go of me!” I shouted and even though I was loud enough for several people to hear me, none of them looked at me. “Let me fucking go!” I screamed again and tried to jerk away. It always most worked but his grip was too tight and ready.

“Now, now, don’t want to ruin everyone else’s day. That would be rude cupcake. Though, there is one person I need to see you like this.” As I squirmed I saw him scanning around and then he grinned. I didn’t really like that smile of his. 

“I said let me go!” I kept trying to jerk my body away again despite the pain in my arms from his hold. It almost felt like I was about to break my own bones to get out of his grip and I damn well would if that’s what I needed to happen.

Though when I looked up to see if anyone was looking I noticed one person. Rufo looking as human as ever. He was looking right at me and at Crowley. That’s when I saw the eyes in his skull sink and his skin start to tear away.

“(Y/N)! Crowley! Let her go! She’s got nothing to do with us!” I could hear the change in his voice from how it normally sounded to a dry growl as if his vocal cords were becoming taut.

“And now we make our exit.” There had been a sea of people between us and I managed to get an arm free as I reached out to Rufo. 

It didn’t matter though as the people cleared away for Crowley and seemed to move in front of Rufo which didn’t end too well as they were shoved away or worse. Tears welled up in my eyes as Rufo got further and further away and eventually my arm drooped down. Crowley didn’t speak as he got me into a car, tying up my hands though still made sure I was comfortable in the back seat of my car. All I could feel was my heart aching the further we drove away.

My eyes stayed looking out the window and watching how the road twist and turned. I didn’t have a clue where were going and I doubt Crowley would give me an answer. Though I didn’t need to wait long as he pulled off to a dirt road which my car didn’t like too much with all the bumps, but it made due as we approached a small wooden cabin tucked away in the trees. 

“Almost done (Y/N). Don’t you worry.” Crowley finally spoke just before getting out of the car. He came around and got me out so we could trudge our way into the little cabin. 

It looked as if he had been staying here for about a day. There were some kerosene lanterns lit and the furniture that was there seemed to have always been there with an almost decaying appearance. Laying out on a starting to rot tabletop was a brief case and inside was a various things like chalk, crystals, and vials filled with questionable liquid. He had me seated on one of the sturdier chairs.

“Now, sit there and be good for me cupcake.” He tied my ankles to the chair, and finally he fashioned a rope around my torso to keep my arms pinned to my sides.

“Why are you doing this to me Crowley?” My eyes followed him as he went back to the table and he grabbed a piece of chalk from it.

“It’s not necessarily a you thing. It’s a more of him thing.” He jutted his head toward the door that we came in as he turned. “Him and I have been fighting each other for quite some time.” He moved to the center and got to work drawing a large circle and various symbols. “You see cupcake, I’m very old. Much older than you can probably imagine. I’m under certain rules and obligation to get rid of evil things. Especially when they get under my skin and make me itch.” His eyes stared into mine and that damned smile of his was back. “And he’s like the damn chicken pox.”

I didn’t say anything more as I watched him finish up. He wiped his hands on a rag which he tossed onto the table along with his supplies. He paced around the room for a bit, peaking out the window now and again.

“What makes you think he’s going to know where I am? That’s he’s going to come for me?” My leg was bouncing, well what it could with my legs tied to the chair. “I’m not much of a prize.”

“You say that but that’s not what I see.” He turned his attention to me. “He doesn’t put up with many people and put up is a strong phrase. Most of the humans he comes in contact with end up dead.” He strolled over to me and leaned over so he could get in my face. “And you two seem to have gotten rather close.” As he said that his eyes flicked over me and there was that smile that sent chills through my body. “So that makes you pretty special, cupcake.”

“We just had a lot in common. That’s all.” I tried to look away, but I could still feel his eyes staring into me. If I could fidget more in my seat, I would have. “At least I’d like to think we did.”

“Well, you have some time to think about all those things in common cupcake. It’s gonna take some time for him to find us since there were some dead-end roads on the way here that he’s gonna have to figure out for himself. So kick back, relax. Take a load off.” Crowley had a jokester smile as he stood back up and grabbed a chair for himself at the table. 

So I sat there, staring at the door. Thoughts flooded my mind as I imagined Rufo trying to find me. If he was. From the window I could see some clouds over the trees roll by and all I could think of was the storms these past few days. How Rufo took it upon himself to comfort me, to distract me what ways he could. The way he looked at me with those icy blue eyes. How he held me tight to his side as we watched rerun after rerun of Cops in some hotel in the middle of nowhere. The way he looked at me during our few moments of passion followed by his lingering touches throughout the day. Hell, how he even murdered someone to keep me safe. It had honestly been one of the most enjoyable times in my life in so long.

It was that moment when I decided that I would do anything for Rufo. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is Rufo's perspective

I don’t know how much time had passed but it felt like ages until seeing a truck come into sight. The thing looked like it was about to fall apart with every pump it hit. It was barreling down the driveway and my heart started to pound in my chest to the point I could hear it thudding in my ears

“There he is.” Crowley got up from his seat at the table and walked over to stand off the side behind me. “That was pretty impressive with how fast he found you.”

No words as the truck only sped up faster and I was trying to not get antsy in my chair. I didn’t want it to break just yet. He was close enough that I could see his face from inside the truck cab. He wasn’t even hiding the fact he was a clown and how angry he was. His eyes were sunken in and there was a faint glow from where they were. It was a relief but also terrifying to see him like that.

“Oh, that clown doesn’t have a happy face. Perfect.” Crowley clasped a hand on my shoulder and kept it there as we watched the tall, boney like figure stop and get out of the truck.

He was covered in blood and other viscera. Someone had been a poor unfortunate soul to get in his way. Probably the owner of the truck or some fools back at the small circus. There was already a throwing knife in his hand as he stormed the house and I lost sight for a brief moment until he kicked down the door. It splintered with little effort and remnants of it scattered across the floor.

“Crowley, you fucking son a bitch.” Rufo was walking forward and his eyes fell onto me then the symbol on the ground which made him stop. “Son of a bitch.” His words were more like hisses the angrier he was becoming. He looked back to me and the grip on his knife tightened. I can see the veins in his hand shift from his grip. “Are you alright (Y/N)? You aren’t hurt?”

“No, no. I’m okay. I’m okay now.” I could feel tears try to well up in my eyes as I answered him. I just wanted to run to him. I wanted to grab him and tell him everything would be okay and that we could run and go back to enjoying the trip. But Crowley spoke again and reminded me that it was easier said than done.

“Rufo, you and I have been at it for a while. I’m getting pretty tired having you pop up now and again when I have more important things to worry about. Get in the circle and I’ll let her go.” He patted my shoulder to emphasis what was at stake. “On my word she’ll be let go while your spirit gets removed from that vessel and gets to go where it needs to go.”

Rufo didn’t say anything, just stared at me with those sunken glowing eyes. Crowley let go of my shoulder to gesture to the circle on the floor then I could hear his hands going in his pockets. Another moment of silence and the clatter of the throwing knife falling to the ground nearly made me jump. His face looked plumper and human like the longer he stared at me.

“If she isn’t safe than you mark my words Crowley, I’ll come back and gut you where you stand.” His voice sent a shiver straight up my spine and he look at Crowley dead in the eyes. “I’ll come back and be your worst nightmare.” 

Rufo began to walk forward, his eyes staying on me. I could hear Crowley behind me lowly chanting and some of the symbols in the circle started to glow. That’s when my heart dropped. I was going to lose Rufo. I was going to lose him after just getting to know him. That’s when I saw my moment and I took it.

The old, rickety chair shattered as I launched myself forward. It was a little sickening with how it cracked. Crowley didn’t have a chance to grab me and I was already where I wanted to be. My shoulder connected to Rufo’s chest which sent him flying out of the circle he had only managed to get a few steps in. 

It had been the right time too as the lights changed color and light shot upward toward the ceiling. Whatever it was, it broke through the old ceiling and made pieces of wood rain down on me. Though being caught in the crossfire of the blinding light I didn’t notice. Especially when the pain took over. Fire coursed through my veins and it was like glass shards followed with. It hurt too much to scream. I couldn’t even writhe on the ground as some invisible force was keeping me in place. My mouth hung open has my body tried to get some noise out, something to try to make the pain lessen. Tears poured from my eyes which only was more painful itself.

“Crowley do something!” I could barely hear Rufo’s shouting.

“There’s nothing I can do! No one can enter the circle until it’s done.” There was almost a hint of a solemn tone from Crowley.

Rufo get close to the circle and I could see his face out of the corner of my eye. Fear. Fear and worry plastered his face as he watched me. The pain only got worse. It felt like every inch inside of me itched and burned then like someone was inside me, trying to get me out of my own body.

“(Y/N), doll, stay with me. Stay with an old clown. Listen to me and don’t go.” There was a desperate sound in his voice that I could barely hear over the ringing and pounding in my ears. 

I’d say I blacked out, but it was more of a white out. White light flooded my vision and I don’t know if the screaming I heard was my own, but it was soon joined in by a choir of screams that ascended to a painful crescendo then suddenly crashed into final blissful silence. Just as sudden as the screaming ended, so did the pain that had ran rampant through my body. The whiteness faded to black and it felt like my soul slipped into a peaceful numbness. I didn’t know if I was dead or what was going on. Everything felt weightless, free floating. It was so calm.

**“(Y/N)!” I slid over to her once the damn light show was done. “Come on, wake up. Wake up.” I wrapped my arms around her to pull her close and to see if she was breathing. She was. It was shallow and barely visible. “(Y/N), don’t go where I can’t go.” My voice dropped but Crowley must have heard me.**

**“Come on Rufo, let’s get her out of here and to the hospital.” Crowley perked up and made his way to the door. “She needs medical attention.”**

**I didn’t argue. Not as I scooped her up in my arms and carried her to the truck. Not as I got her laid out in the back seat and Crowley climbed into the passenger seat after helping me. We didn’t speak the entire ride. I couldn’t get myself calmed enough and I’m sure my knuckles would be even more white if possible as I gripped the steering wheel.**

**“You really care about her.” Crowley spoke after a while of silence. “I’ve never seen this side of you before”**

**“She’s an innocent gal. She deserves a happy and normal life. I just happened to bump into her at a gas station in the middle of nowhere.”**

**“Rufo, I can tell you two are close. I’ve never known you to let someone get this far along knowing you and even traveling with them. You’re always alone.” Crowley’s eyes were still on the road though I could tell he was watching me from the corner of them. I’m surprised the man didn’t have his damn smile on his face that he usually had.**

**“We had a lot in common the more I came to find out. And I couldn’t help but be curious after a point. Then when it did get to that point I didn’t have the heart to kill her.” I sighed, the various memories of us playing through my mind. I wish I could go back to the little diner in that little booth. “She’s has a kind heart and an old soul. She deserves to live a full life.”**

**“Just don’t leave her high and dry just yet Rufo. We don’t know what happened to her when she was in there. After the hospital I suggest taking her to Albert to see if anything else went on.”**

**“I was thinking the same thing Crowley.”**

**The drive wasn’t terribly long, and we had arrived at the hospital. I watched as Crowley scooped up (Y/N) from the back seat and carried her inside. I was only more frustrated with myself as I sat in the parking lot from not being calm enough to get the damn human skin to get over my face so I could have gone in with. To be by her side and in the little room they would have put her in. Waiting there as they ran the tests. I flipped on the radio and switched it to the oldies to calm my nerves. Some familiar ones from our drives played and I could feel the tug of a smile on my scarred lips as I remembered how she sang to each one. When she really got into it she wiggled in her seat to mimic dancing. She had such spunk and energy that I couldn’t help but join along, even if my voice wasn’t as good as hers.**

**After a couple of songs I managed to look more fleshy and get the human look back on my face. It didn’t take long to get directed to the room she would be in. Crowley was seated by the bed and there was an empty chair near him which I took.**

**“They said they’re doing some tests. It’ll be a few hours at the least so buckle down.” Crowley moved to stand up, stretching from being uncomfortable in the seat. “I’ll leave you to it. Get her car back over here so you’re not moving her in that old jalopy of a truck.”**

**There had been a long pause and I could feel his eyes on me. I hated it. I turned my head to look up at him and gave him a nod.**

**“I’ll see you around, Crowley. And… thank you.” The words almost felt a little sour in my mouth. That made Crowley smile that damn creepy smile.**

**“Just tell me how she’s doing the next time we run into each other.” With that, Crowley left the room without a trace.**

**There I sat for too many hours with my thoughts. With the worries of what sort of things they were doing to her. Sure, the medical world had gotten a lot better since I was last alive but magic like that would have left some damage. Or maybe nothing physical at all. Only time would tell. I somehow managed to fall asleep in that uncomfortable chair into a dreamless sleep.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is Rufo's perspective


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is in Rufo's perspective

**The doctors couldn’t pinpoint the issue and I knew they wouldn’t. The medical world had advanced greatly but no one liked to acknowledge or knew how real the magic around them was. Magic was tricky to diagnose to begin with. Even trickier to fix if you could find the right magic used. With what Crowley had planned to use on me though, I knew I needed to get to her to Albert as soon as I could. With our games I knew he would want to use something painful and brutal. And she got the full force of it, somehow making it through. Mostly. I was feeling antsy as the doctor’s wanted to monitor for a few days. That wouldn’t do at all. I didn’t have that time to waste. I ended up taking her out during the dead of night.**

**I made her as comfortable as I possibly could in the back seat. Thankfully, she had packed plenty of blankets and pillows for when she would have gone camping. It was almost like a nest in the back seat. Her eyes were open, and she was blinking slowly. Not a word came out of her as she looked at me. Or at least I tried to think she was looking at me. Her eyes weren’t really looking into anything if I was being honest to myself, but I didn’t want to be.**

**“We got a long drive doll.” I reached to cup her cheek after putting a blanket over her to keep her warm. Her skin was so cold. “I’m gonna get you to someone who can actually help you. He’s an odd fella but you’re probably used to that by now.”**

**I wanted to hear her chuckle. I wanted to see that smile on her face. The one that she would scrunch up her nose followed by her cheeks getting that hint of blood to them. I wanted to see her eyes sparkle like stars that lit up the night sky. But there was nothing. Just a blank stare as she stared at the roof of the car. With a heavy sigh I tucked the blanket in around her and climbed into the driver seat.**

**It was a long drive indeed. Once in a while we would stop for bathroom breaks. She couldn’t exactly tell me when she needed something, but I did my best at guessing which somehow managed. When I put food in her mouth she would naturally chew it and get it down just fine. That night when I got us checked in a hotel I made sure to get her cleaned up and she was much like a puppet in my hand as I maneuvered her. Even when I got her into bed she was much like a large doll. So lifeless but I knew that wasn’t her. She was still in there somewhere and I was gonna get her back out of there. When I could tell she was asleep I let myself finally get some rest.**

**The drive was quiet. Even the music that I played felt more like empty silence. I had the rear mirror pointed down to look at her so I could make sure she was alright from time to time, especially the closer we got to Salem. I hated the silence. Not even turning up the music helped. Now, I admit I’m not one to go over the speed limit, but I admit I may have head a lead foot here and there.**

**I was at Albert’s sooner than I expected which put a temporary grin on my face. Then I looked to (Y/N) in the back seat and that smile quickly dropped. I pulled up to his home and carried her toward his house. I never got a chance to tell him I was on my way and I knew he wouldn’t care too much. He would just give me some extra work for the hassle I was about to bring him, but I could handle that just fine. I kicked on the door since my hands were full. It didn’t take long for the almost large middle-aged man to answer the door. Albert looked like a middle-aged modern-day trucker. Friendly even. Especially in the eyes and when he gave a smile. But only a fool would think that. He could vaporize someone if he so choose to do. Wasn’t a pretty sight. He was rather confused as he saw the woman in my arms, but he let me in, nonetheless.**

**I explained the best I could what happened, leaving out the more juicy bits. He didn’t need to know nor really cared for much of my personal affairs. Though I could tell he had a few questions. Albert and I had known each other for a long time. After all, he was the one who got me my new body and the new life I had after breaking out of Hell a few times. We had a pretty good bond I would say though we kept it more business.**

**I laid (Y/N) down on the couch where Albert started to look her over. He did what was like testing her vitals before going to one of his many bookshelves to look over for a specific book. It didn’t take long for him to find the one he wanted, and he began to thumb through it.**

**“So, what is it Albert?” It was hard to not pace back and forth so I decided to just have my hands behind my back, so he didn’t have to see how they fidgeted.**

**“A type of banishing magic. A strong one too. You got lucky Cecil.” He looked to me as he said my name. Well, my name when I was a normal human. Before the burning and everything that followed suite.**

**“Can you help her?” My brow raised, the concern in my voice finally breaking through. It wasn’t a side Albert had seen before and I wasn’t sure how well I liked him seeing it.**

**“Yes, though you’ll need to give me a few days to get some things ready. Of course, you know the deal for these favors of yours.” Albert gently placed a blanket over (Y/N) who didn’t even make any notion to move or settle into it.**

**“Yeah, yeah, of course. I’ll get the work done, you know that.” I went over to (Y/N) so I could at least be by her side now that Albert wasn’t there.**

**“Feel free to take her to the guest room so she’s more comfortable. I want her and you to stay close by.”**

**All I did was nod and scoop her up in my arms, taking her down the hallway to one of the spare guest rooms. She would look more peaceful now that she was in a bed and tucked in. I even made sure to fluff the pillows like she had done to the ones in the hotels we stayed at. I could feel Albert’s eyes on me behind me. I ignored him for just a moment so I could look at her a little longer before following him back to the living room.**

**“Tell me Cecil, what makes her so special? You’re not the one for company.” Albert sat down in his armchair that looked lovingly worn. I took a spot on the couch.**

**“Silly to say but started with music taste. Just a loan gas station and I was gonna just take the car to get to the job. Though I heard the music she was playing.” The corner of my lip finally pulled up to a smile. It almost felt wrong, but I smiled anyway. “Dream Lover by Bobby Darin and she was dancing a little in her seat while singing along.” I furrowed my brow as I pushed the memory to the side and let the smile drop. “I meant to leave after the first night of riding with her. But the more we talked and getting to know each other, I stayed. I stayed even when Crowley showed up at a diner we stopped at. Then, she stayed after finding out who and what I was. I could see the look in her eyes that she wanted to run out the door, but she took a chance.” My hands balled up and my knuckles were starting to turn white then crack to reveal the titanium white skin underneath. “I should have left sooner so she was safe.”**

**“Calm down my boy. We all do things for those we care for. Sometimes not the smartest but was she ever miserable in your company?”**

**“No. No she wasn’t. She was smiling and there was a sparkle in her eyes whenever she looked at me.” I could feel a strange sensation in my chest that made me furrow my brows once more. “And she was the one to make the first moves. Even when I gave her warnings.”**

**“I think you have the answer you’re looking for than Cecil.” There was a bit of a smile on Albert’s face.**

**“I didn’t even know I had a question.”**

**“Most of us don’t when we know it’s right. And I know that look on your face when you stare at her. I was there once myself.”**

**I sat in silence before nodding. My hands relaxed and the skin on my cracked knuckles rejoined together. Albert got up from his chair, grabbing (Y/N)’s phone and making sure anyone who was worried about her would be eased and just think her vacation had extended. He then left to his office, leaving me to the silence of the living room. I didn’t like it. So I rose from my seat and crept into the room (Y/N) was laid down. I kicked off my shoes, tossing my jacket onto the back of a bed post, and laid down beside her. One arm draped over her chest and my chin rested on the top of her head.**

**Then I quietly whispered to her the fun things we would do once she was better. I’d take her to a real circus. To Coney Island to show her the rich history of the circus life. I would take her out to all the places she’d want to eat and get her little gifts along the way. Whatever she wanted. I’d give her all the flowers to make a valley jealous. We’d camp at all the places she wanted to go before this all happened and then some. I didn’t know if she could hear me, but I hope she was excited as I was despite the aching numbness in my chest.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is in Rufo's perspective


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is in Rufo's perspective

**I don’t even know when I fell asleep that night, but I woke up to a knock on the door before Albert let himself in with two cups of coffee. One for himself and I assumed one for me. He was already dressed for the day and looked put together as usual. I suppose I was too, but I could deal with a shower and a change though that could be later. I got up carefully from the bed, giving a slight nod to Albert as I took the extra cup of coffee from him. He nodded his head to the side, and I followed with him into the hallway.**

**“Sleep well?” Albert sipped at his coffee, one hand slipping into his pocket.**

**“Could be better.” All I could do was shrug as I shut the door behind us. A little harder than I meant to. I knew the sound wouldn’t bother her, but it was still rude.**

**“I want you to get out and get some fresh air. Being cooped up and stressed the way you are isn’t going to do you or her any good. I have a list of supplies you can get for me in town that should be helpful.”**

**“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Truth be told, he was probably right. Getting out and some fresh air would be good. I just didn’t want to leave her there in bed all alone. I knew Albert would be there, but it didn’t feel the same. “Let me get her showered and something in her and I’ll go for you, Albert.”**

**“Good, good. I already made breakfast for the two of you. You know where to find it when you’re done cleaning up.” He had a soft smile, a sympathetic one. It’s one I never saw often. Only one other time when my great nieces body had to be brought to him. But that’s a different story.**

**“Thanks, Albert. I appreciate it and I’m sure she does too.” I gave him a smile back. A weak one, but a smile, nonetheless.**

**When my cup of coffee was done I slipped (Y/N) out of bed and carried her into the bathroom. Albert already had a set of clothes out for the both of us on the counter. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I got her undressed while the shower warmed up. He was always a pretty good host when he wanted to be. It was pretty easy getting her in and washing her up never took long. The only thing I took my time for was holding her close. My arms were around her waist and I leaned her head down on my shoulder. The last shower we had together she held me back and right now, that’s all I wanted. I help her tighter as I let myself let loose a few tears. I’m not usually a man who cries. I tend to get more angry than anything and wreck things in my way as I try to calm down. Or take my anger out on something a bit more fleshy. But sometimes you just need to cry now and then.**

**When she was dried and dressed I carried her to the kitchen so I could get some food in her belly. Albert had made a large breakfast of pancakes, bacon, biscuits and of course some more coffee. She took the food like a champ like always. When we were both done I got her settled back into bed. Truth be told, I didn’t want to leave her side. I didn’t want anything to happen while I was gone and not be there for her. She was in good hands with Albert around though. That didn’t stop me from taking my time though. Yet when I could feel his stare as I was tucking her back in I knew I had to wrap it up. With a soft peck to her cheek, I left the room and Albert handed me a list of what to get him. With that I was off.**

**The town was small, but I still insisted on taking the car. I gave the excuse of being able to listen to some tunes in my time that I drove around to the various shops, fetching and checking off each item on the list. I had everything on the list within twenty minutes. With some spare time I popped into one of the few antique stores, looking for something for (Y/N). Among some jewelry, I found a locket. The little label said silver and it had filigree detail surrounding a pale aquamarine stone. Almost reminded me of my eyes. I decided to get it for her as a little ‘Welcome Back' gift. As I was leaving that’s when I ran into Crowley.**

**“Ah, there you are. I was about to stop at Albert’s to check in on the patient.” Crowley didn’t have much of a smile going but I could see hints of it at the corners of his mouth.**

**“She’s resting. About in the same boat when you last saw her. Albert has an idea though.”**

**“Good, good. At least she seems to be steady. I’ll leave you to it than, Rufo. Next time, tell me any updates you have.” Crowley gave me a slight nod and went to turn to walk away. Something had been irking me though ever since I last saw him.**

**“Crowley.” He stopped and turned his head to look at me. “Why did you help me as much as you did? You could have taken me right out there, but you didn’t.”**

**“You know my rules Rufo. I help those who ask for it.”**

**“I didn’t ask for it though.”**

**“No, but she did.”**

**With that, Crowley continued on his stroll, leaving me standing in confusion. Had she said please when she was screaming? I could barely remember anything, just the string of emotions that fogged me at the time. I was yelling out my own pleas and woes at the time so I may have missed it. Either way, now she was in good hands and things would be taken care of then I could get her back on her way to her life.**

**There were some light gray clouds up in the sky and it was starting to drizzle outside once I made it back to Albert’s. He greeted me at the door and took the bags from me except the small paper bag with the small box from the antique shop. Albert went his own way into his office, and I slipped into the guest room. She was still laying there and when I got closer I saw that her eyes were closed. I assumed she was resting or the equivalent of it as I set the box containing the necklace on the nightstand. Sitting on the edge of the bed I gently ran my fingers on the side of her face, just to brush some hair to the side and get it tucked behind her ear. Her skin was still cold and clammy despite the blankets that I placed over her. A solemn smile lifted at the corner of my lips as I watched her for just a moment. For a moment it seemed like she was just taking a nap and not like a lifeless doll. Just a moment though.**

**Her eyes suddenly opened up, but they weren’t their usual color. No, they were pure white. The blanket flung off her without even her touching it and she was starting to flail on the bed. For a brief moment there was probably a look of panic on my face as I dove to get her pinned down to the bed. My next thought was to yell out to Albert to get his happy ass in the damn room. I had to wrap my limbs around hers to trap her from hurting herself and getting tangled up in anything.**

**“Doll! If you can hear me you gotta calm down!” She was thrashing harder than I expected and I didn’t want to grab her too tight; worried I may end up breaking a bone or two. But maybe that’d be better at this point. Her mouth started to open, and I could see something faintly glow. “Albert get your damn ass in here right now! She wants to put on a fucking light show for us!”**

**I grabbed the bottom of her jaw with one hand and with the top of my head with the other, I forced her mouth closed. As I did, Albert burst into the room with a bottle of whatever the fuck strange concoctions he has on hand. Albert got to work, popping open the bottle and dipping his finger into the liquid then wiped it across her forehead. All the while, mumbling weird words that I couldn’t understand and probably didn’t want to. Her thrashing got more wild for just a moment before she suddenly stopped; her body going limp in my hold. After making sure she fully stopped I carefully took my hands away. I tilted her head back ever so slightly so her mouth would open to get a peek inside. No strange light. I checked her pulse and her breathing which was all back to what it had been before.**

**“That was a close call, Cecil. She’s been more affected than I realized.” Albert said with a sigh as he sat down on the edge of the bed after the bottle he had was plugged up. “Good news is at least I have almost everything ready. Give me ‘til tomorrow and we can get her back to normal.”**

**“Good, because I don’t think she can do that again.” I gingerly ran my fingers through her hair, tucking some behind her ears once more as she laid there. She looked more tired than usual somehow and I couldn’t blame her.**

**“No, she can’t. Spirits are fighting for her body it seems. She’s strong though which is impressive. Most don’t last this long.” Albert was staring down at her and then looked at me. “I know I don’t have to tell you this but keep an eye on her. I’ll be bringing dinner in a few hours.” With that I watched Albert get up and leave the room.**

**When he left I just stayed in the same place, cradling, and holding (Y/N) close as I could. I laid my head down on her chest and just focused on the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Dinner came and went in a blur. Even watching the Cops reruns I enjoyed just couldn’t help the numb feeling in my gut. Sure, she was strong, but I didn’t like the position she was in. There was a battle going on inside her and there was nothing I could do about it. I hated it. I spent hours hating it and that numb feeling only getting worse with each passing minute. I had a chance to help someone close to me unlike every other time and yet I felt like I wasn’t much help. The other times I at least got some scores settled. Here, I couldn’t do anything. Any time when she would move in her sleep it made me tense. How could I sleep like this? I decided I couldn’t and the only time I left her was to make myself a thermos of coffee. I would stay awake to make sure she would be alright. All I had to do was wait for Albert to wake up.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part is in Rufo's perspective


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is Rufo's perspective  
> Non-Bold is Readers

**I heard Albert walking around in the early hours of the morning and I figured I’d give him a little bit more time. He could be a bit of a sourpuss in the morning depending on the day. I was already wired from my now empty thermos of coffee and knew he would need his few cups too to get started. (Y/N) seemed to be doing alright from what I could tell so I slipped out to take a bathroom break and see if he needed help with anything. He had me help with breakfast. Both of us were quiet as we cooked away. The stress of the day was already so thick in the air that I could cut with the butter knife I was using on some toast.**

**Albert finally spoke though. “After we all eat, I’ll start getting the living room ready. You and her freshen up. And Cecil.”**

**“Yeah Albert.” I looked over to him from my simple task.**

**“I’ll need some of your blood for some of the symbols I put on her. You and her have a strong connection so it’ll help keep her anchored.”**

**“Whatever you need Albert.” I perhaps sounded more groggy and the yawn I let out didn’t help.**

**“You didn’t sleep a wink did you?” Albert said without missing a beat as he started to slice oranges for orange juice. The man knew me well. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I went to flipping the eggs.**

**“No. Not a single wink. Been too wired after yesterday and what almost happened.”**

**“Can’t say I blame you Cecil. I’ve seen what this sort of thing does to someone. It’s not pretty. Not even your hands would have stopped what would happen if you were alone or still at that hospital. Angry spirits get what they want after all and they don’t care how. You know that very well.” There was a hint of a smile on his face that I caught out of the corner of my eye.**

**“I had a little bit of help. Even the greatest escape artists has a great assistant behind the scenes.”**

**“And it’s been one of the best investments I’ve ever made, Cecil. I consider you a friend besides just someone who works for me. You know very few have that title.”**

**“Albert, I think you need more coffee.” I cracked a smile, a genuine one since a few days ago. “Either you’re still tired or you’re getting just a bit mushy in your old age.”**

**“If that was the case I would be goo a long, long time ago.” Albert let out a chuckle while we wrapped up breakfast. “Now, go make sure she eats and then we’ll get started.”**

**I grabbed the plates he offered to me along with another cup of coffee for myself. I probably didn’t need it after the thermos, but I have a hard time saying no to a good cup of coffee. I didn’t really touch my food. Instead I made sure she ate, and she seemed fine as she took each bite. Almost like the other day didn’t happen and she didn’t almost spew some too powerful spirit energy from her mouth. She was still like a limp doll but that would change soon. Soon she’d be back to normal and she would smile with that sparkle in her eyes. She would hug me tight and I’d hear her voice again. We could take silly pictures again on her phone and I can take her to diners when I go to bring her home. I cupped her cheek and gave her a feather like kiss on her lips then looked into her eyes. I hope she could see right back into mine.**

**“We’re gonna get you right as rain (Y/N). It’ll be alright soon.” I knew she couldn’t answer me back, but I just wish she could say something.**

**With a heavy sigh I scooped her up into my arms, bridal style, and made my way with her to the living room. The furniture had already been pushed to the sides and Albert was busy drawing a variety of symbols on the floor in chalk. For now he had me set her down on the couch.**

**“Your hand Cecil my boy.” He held out his hand and I offered mine to him. “This will hurt just for a brief moment.”**

**“Don’t worry about me Albert. Not the first time I’ve been cut up.”**

**Albert chuckled before grabbing one of his knives he had at the ready and gripped my wrist. He made a few quick cuts and the blood that came from them he gathered in a small bowl. I had already healed as he knelt down by (Y/N) and collected some of hers. Did it irk me a little as I watched the knife cut her next? Maybe but I had to remember it would help. I watched as he mixed the two together and pour in a mix of various concoctions. I didn’t understand what he was doing but I didn’t need to. As long as it got her back.**

**“Lay her in the middle Cecil.” He gestured and I did as instructed.**

**He got beside her once more and with a small paint brush he started to paint symbols on her visible skin. I was almost mesmerized as he made sure he got each one right. I could barely hear him start to mumble under his breath, but he was saying some sort of chant.**

**When he covered most of her chest that's when the screaming started. It wasn’t like the ones I heard in that run-down cabin that were hers. No. These were like a beast got its leg stuck in a trap and was being stabbed by hunters. She started to thrash, and Albert barked at me to get her pinned down. I could barely hear him over the howling, but I moved. I had her arms pinned down and he positioned himself to sit on her legs though she still managed to rock us both around. That’s when I saw a light come from her mouth.**

**“Albert! Hurry up!” I moved quickly so my knees were keeping her arms down so my hands were now free to clamp her mouth shut.**

**“Haven’t had anything so feisty in a while.” I could hear Albert mutter as he dropped the brush and opted for a knife instead. “She won’t like this but right now I don’t think she gives a damn.” With her shirt hoisted up he started to cut into the flesh of her stomach more symbols and he spoke more words in forgotten languages. As he chanted he yanked my hands away just in time for her mouth to open and a series of orbs came from her mouth that flew around the room and fizzled away.**

**The strange growls that were coming from her suddenly died down and I watched as her eyes came back into focus on the world around her. I moved off her arms and stayed to her side, my hands going to cup her cheeks. Her skin felt so hot and after the strange clamminess it had felt not an hour ago I was relieved. She looked so exhausted and like she was about to pass out. Though I couldn’t blame her if she did right there.**

**“Doll? Talk to me (Y/N). Let me know it’s you and not some rube in there.” I didn’t mean to sound hopeless or to beg but after everything I just wanted to see her back to normal.**

“Rufo?” My throat felt sore, almost like I had been on roller coaster all day and screaming the whole ride. “Where.. where am I?” I tried to sit up, but my body felt stiff and weak. Rufo moved to help me up and I saw a man standing in front of me. Looking around I could see a bowl of a red liquid and then there was a pain in my stomach. When I looked down I saw weird symbols etched into my skin. “What the fuck happened to me?”

“You, my dear, got caught in something nasty when you played hero for our dear Cecil.” The man went to gather the items that were around. With the things put away he offered me a hand for a handshake which I took. He had a firm grip though I expected as much from a man who was built like a middle-aged truck driver. His eyes seemed friendly, but something was off in them. “Albert Miles. You can call me a longtime friend of Cecil’s.” His hand let go of mine and he helped Rufo get me up onto my feet then sitting down on the couch when we realized my legs weren’t ready just quite yet. “He brought you too me after the little incident with Crowley in the cabin. It’s a good thing he did, or you certainly would have been lost.”

“I don’t know how to thank you but, well, thank you.” Rufo put a blanket around my shoulders which I held tighter onto me before grabbing something to clean my cut into stomach.

“No need for thank you’s (Y/N). It’s not often Cecil brings a friend over so I’m happy to help.” There was that smile again that almost sent chills down my spine, but I smiled back at him. His eyes went to Rufo who now slipped an arm around me. “You two clean up then get some rest for a few days before heading back. And take your time to bring her home. We don’t need anything to be rushed.” With that Albert turned on his heel and walked toward what I saw was most likely the kitchen. “I’ll make us a lunch. Exorcism’s always leave me hungry.”

Lunch passed with a blur and the rest of the day followed suite. Seeing the smile on Rufo’s face was the main thing that was consistent though. Even as he helped me shower or get into bed there was always a smile on his face. Albert had been a kind host and I found myself thanking him maybe a little too much as he and Rufo were getting the car ready for the drive.

“Now, now (Y/N), I’m happy to help. Besides, Cecil and I have an agreement so I’m always pleased when we can both benefit from it.” Albert handed me a small leather satchel. I could hear the clanking of vials inside as I took it. “There’s some medicine in here in case you start to feel a little off. There may be some aftereffects but keep up with it and you’ll be just fine. Only a few sips each time mind you.”

“Thank you, Albert. For everything.” I managed one final thank you before Rufo ushering me to the car. We both gave Albert a wave goodbye and we were off.

The drive was mostly quiet but the occasional song singing and light chit chat. It was almost like nothing happened, but I knew Rufo was keeping an eye on me. I could see from the corner of his eye how often it would flick over to me. He even reminded me a few times to take the medicine before I realized I needed it. It was good to be back again though I had questions.

“What happened after I hit you out of the light? I only remember pain and then not being here.” We were sat in a diner, far from others though it wasn’t exactly busy. Rufo raised a brow while he was taking a mindful chew from his burger.

“Crowley and I immediately took you to a hospital. I was too angry to go inside so he took you in. We realized this was something regular treatment wouldn’t fix so he had me take you to Albert.” He leaned back in his seat as he spoke, and he fiddled with his glass in his free hand. “I honestly expected him to try to fight me while he had the chance but seems you said the magic word that turns that little switch in him when you just lost consciousness of yourself.” He could see my confusion clear on my face and there was a small smile on the corner of his lip. “You said one little word. Please.”

I sat there for the rest of meal, both a little confused and thankful. To be fair, a lot of this strange world I was exposed to left me very confused ever since Rufo revealed his clown face to me. Even when Crowley first sat down across from me at that small diner and warned me about Rufo. Maybe one day I’d get the answers about some things but for now I was ready to wrap up this vacation and get back home.

It was almost nice to get back into my town and then to see my small home on the block coming into view. Rufo pulled into the driveway and despite me saying I could get it, we spent a few minutes getting my things either in the house or in the garage where I could take care of it later. The whole time though there was an odd look on his face. He looked almost lost and perplexed. When the last of it was put away we found ourselves standing in my driveway.

“(Y/N) promise you’ll take care while I’m gone.” His hands rested heavy on my shoulder and my gaze went up to his face. He was already looking down at me.

“I promise, Rufo. Don’t worry too much about me. Promise me that you’ll take care as well.” That made him crack a bit of a smile.

“Oh, don’t worry about me doll. I’m hard to get rid of.” His brows raised, eyes widening a bit like he remembered something, and he quickly reached for something in his pocket. “I, well, I got this for you for when you woke up, but it slipped my mind to give it to you then. I wanted you to recover and rest first.” He slipped out a small box and he handed it over to me. 

“Rufo, you didn’t need to get me anything.” He slipped it into my hand, a move insisting I take it regardless my protests. With everything that’s happened and how he’d been, I couldn’t really say no. I opened it and revealed inside the lovely locket inside. “Rufo, it’s beautiful. Thank you.” I went to flip it open to make sure the hinge worked properly, and I saw a picture of the two of us inside. The selfie from the cliff.

“Albert must have put that in.” Rufo chuckled and I could see him shaking his head. “He’s always been a sly man.”

“I’ll have to thank him again another time.” Rufo slipped the necklace from my hand and helped me put it on.

“I need to get going. I promise to come back.” Rufo’s eyes roamed over my face like he was trying to make sure he remembered every little feature. “And when I do, I’ll take you on another trip and I’ll show you all the best sites out there. Coney Island, every fun little museum and we’ll do anything else you want.”

“I’d like that a lot, Rufo.” My hands went to hold the back of his neck and we shared one last kiss. It was deep and I felt my heart skip wildly in my chest. Everything in me didn’t want to let him go but I knew he couldn’t stay.

I felt my heart sink as he gave me one last smile before turning and walking down the street. I watched him until he was a speck on the horizon. 

**A FEW WEEKS LATER**

Rufo had been gone for a little over a month now and he kept in contact when he could. Usually always by a different phone number but it was always nice to know he was both doing well and to just hear from him. He always said he’d be back soon though it felt like it would take longer and longer. Either way, I’d be patiently waiting. Our last conversation he was nearly all the way across the states but the good news he was almost done with his job. Almost.

The next morning I found myself sitting at the dining table with breakfast fresh on the table. And then a knock on the door. Usually the newspaper delivery boy just hit the door but perhaps he was trying a different approach. I got up, still in my pajamas and somewhat messy hair, and answered the door.

“Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes doll.” Rufo in his human look was there and he had a duffel bag in hand. “Miss me?”

“Rufo!” The duffel bag fell to the ground as I nearly tackled the man to the ground, and he had to quickly grab me. “You’re here!”

“I had to lead you on a little bit. I needed to make sure you were surprised when I came back. I think it worked pretty well, don’t you think?” He let out a laugh and he smiled down at me. “Finish what you were doing and get ready to go.”

“Where are we going?” A look of confusion replaced my excitement but that only made him smile even wider.

“Just on a little road trip. I got it all planned out and set up for us. It’ll be a blast (Y/N).” He grinned before planting a gentle kiss on my smiling lips. 

I used to ask myself if I would have agreed all that time ago if I would still let the man at the gas station into my car when he asked for a ride. As we drove down some random highway in the back way of somewhere that question popped into my head once more. The answer has always been yes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold is Rufo's perspective  
> Non-Bold is Readers


End file.
